Halas
A Spanish name meaning "flatter" or "praise".
Name Census estimates that about 14 living Americans carry the first name Halas. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Halas today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Halas births was 2007 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Halas. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Halas. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
14
~ 1 in 24,482,453 Americans
Peak year
2007
8 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2015 SSA rank
#11,172
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Halas: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Halas from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 8 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Halas remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Halas by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Halas during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Halas
The name Halas is of ancient Greek origin, derived from the word "halas," which means "salt" or "salt water." It is believed to have been used as a name for those born near the sea or engaged in maritime activities, such as fishing or sailing.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Halas can be found in Homer's epic poem, the Iliad, where it is used as a minor character's name. This suggests that the name was already in use during the 8th century BC in ancient Greek society.
In later Greek mythology, Halas was also the name of a minor sea deity associated with salt and the ocean. This further reinforces the name's connection to the maritime world and its Greek roots.
The first recorded historical figure bearing the name Halas was a Greek philosopher and mathematician who lived in the 5th century BC. Known as Halas of Chios, he was a student of Pythagoras and made significant contributions to the study of geometry and number theory.
Another notable bearer of the name was Halas of Halicarnassus, a Greek historian who lived in the 5th century BC. He is best known for his work on the history of the Ionian revolt against the Persian Empire, which was an important event in ancient Greek history.
In the Middle Ages, the name Halas was also used by a few individuals, although it was not as common as in ancient times. One example is Halas the Scribe, a Byzantine scholar and calligrapher who lived in the 12th century AD and was renowned for his beautiful handwriting and illuminated manuscripts.
During the Renaissance period, the name Halas gained some popularity in Italy, possibly due to the influence of classical Greek culture. One notable figure was Halas Bonaventura, an Italian painter and architect who lived in the 16th century and was known for his contributions to the Mannerist style of art.
In more recent times, the name Halas has been used by individuals from various backgrounds, although it remains relatively uncommon. One example is George Halas, an American professional football player and coach who lived from 1895 to 1983 and was a founding owner of the Chicago Bears franchise in the National Football League (NFL).
While the name Halas has its roots in ancient Greek culture and has been used throughout history, it is important to note that its popularity and usage have varied across different time periods and regions. However, its connection to the sea and salt remains a consistent theme in its meaning and origins.
People
Halas + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Halas as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Halas: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Halas?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Halas going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 24,482,453 US residents.
Is Halas a common name?
We classify Halas as "Very Rare". It ranks above 34% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 14 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Halas most popular?
The single biggest year for Halas was 2007, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Halas is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Halas in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Halas a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Halas in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Halas still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Halas in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Halas can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Halas?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Halas at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.