Find out how popular the last name Hal is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Hal.

Hal, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Hal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hal in America

Hal is the 73215th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hal surname appeared 265 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Hal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hal to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Hal

The surname "HAL" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hæl" or "hael," which means "healthy" or "whole." This suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive surname given to individuals who were considered healthy or of strong physical stature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "HAL" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hale." This entry suggests that the name was already in use in England during the 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the surname "HAL" was primarily concentrated in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in northern England. It is believed that some variations of the name, such as "Hale" and "Hayle," may have originated from place names in these regions.

In the 13th century, a notable figure with the surname "HAL" was Roger Hale, a prominent landowner and military commander who served under King Edward I. He was born around 1245 and played a significant role in the Welsh Wars of the late 13th century.

Another historical figure who bore the surname "HAL" was Sir Matthew Hale, an influential English jurist and Lord Chief Justice of England during the 17th century. He was born in 1609 and is renowned for his contributions to English common law and his efforts to reform the criminal justice system.

In the 18th century, Nathan Hale, an American patriot and soldier, became a prominent figure associated with the surname. Born in 1755, he is best known for his role as a spy during the American Revolutionary War and his famous quote, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

During the 19th century, Sir James Hale, an English engineer and inventor, made significant contributions to the development of early railway systems. He was born in 1810 and is credited with developing the first successful railway signal system, which greatly improved the safety of rail transportation.

Another notable figure with the surname "HAL" is Sir Edward Hale, a British politician and diplomat who served as the Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony in the late 17th century. He was born in 1636 and played a crucial role in shaping the early colonial government of New England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hal

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Hal.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Hal was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Hal has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Hal was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Hal, please contact us.

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