Loal
A masculine name of Germanic origin meaning "loyal" or "trustworthy".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Loal. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Loal today is around 70 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Loal births was 1919 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Loal. 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
- • The typical person named Loal is about 70 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Loals were born before 1966.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Loal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1919
7 babies that year
Average age
70
years old
1966 SSA rank
#4,296
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Loal: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Loal from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 12 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Loal remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Loal 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 Loal 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 Loal
The name Loal is believed to have originated in the ancient Mesopotamian region, specifically among the Akkadian people who inhabited parts of modern-day Iraq and Syria around the 3rd millennium BCE. It is derived from the Akkadian root word "lu'alu," which means "to praise" or "to exalt."
In ancient Akkadian texts and inscriptions, the name Loal appears as a theophoric name, meaning it was given to individuals as a way to honor or praise a particular deity. The name may have been intended to express gratitude or reverence towards the gods and goddesses of the Mesopotamian pantheon.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Loal can be found in a cuneiform tablet dating back to the reign of King Sargon of Akkad (circa 2334-2279 BCE). This tablet lists various individuals who were part of the king's administrative staff, and one of them bears the name Loal.
Throughout the centuries, the name Loal has been borne by several notable historical figures. One such figure was Loal of Ur, a high-ranking priest who served in the temple of the moon god Nanna during the reign of the Sumerian king Shulgi (circa 2094-2047 BCE). Loal is credited with overseeing the restoration and renovation of the temple complex in the city of Ur.
Another prominent individual with this name was Loal the Scribe, a renowned scholar and writer who lived during the Neo-Babylonian period (circa 626-539 BCE). Loal is believed to have authored several influential works on astrology, astronomy, and divination, which were widely studied and revered in ancient Mesopotamia.
In the realm of ancient Greek literature, the name Loal appears in the writings of the historian Herodotus (circa 484-425 BCE). Herodotus mentions a Persian general named Loal who served under King Darius I and played a crucial role in the Persian Wars against the Greek city-states.
During the medieval period, the name Loal was carried by a notable Islamic scholar and jurist from the city of Basra (modern-day Iraq). Loal ibn Abi al-Qasim (born circa 850 CE) was renowned for his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and his contributions to the development of the Shafi'i school of Islamic law.
While the name Loal has its roots in the ancient Mesopotamian region, it has been adopted and used in various cultures and languages throughout history, often with slight variations in spelling or pronunciation. However, its core meaning and connection to the concept of praise and exaltation remain consistent across these diverse cultural contexts.
People
Loal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Loal as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Loal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Loal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Loal 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Loal a common name?
We classify Loal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 27 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Loal most popular?
The single biggest year for Loal was 1919, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Loal is about 70 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 Loal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Loal a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Loal 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 Loal still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Loal 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 Loal 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 many people share the name Loal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.