At a glance
- In short
- Khalil is an Arabic boys' name meaning friend, linked to the prophet Abraham.
- U.S. rank 2025
- #384 of boy names
- Babies in 2025
- 826 (0.045% of boys)
- Trend
- Slipping #274 in 2020 to #384 in 2025
- Peak
- #251 in 1995
- Top state
- #82 in the District of Columbia
- First recorded
- 1957
Meaning of Khalil
Khalil is an Arabic name meaning "friend." In Islamic tradition, the prophet Abraham is known as al-Khalil, "the friend of God," and the name is used across the Arabic-speaking world. Variant spellings include Kahlil and Kalil.
The best-known bearer is the Lebanese-American poet Kahlil Gibran, author of The Prophet, whose first name is an English spelling of Khalil. Present-day namesakes include NFL linebacker Khalil Mack and the scholar Khalil Gibran Muhammad.
In the U.S., Khalil climbed from 527th in 1994 to its highest rank, 251st, in 1995. The most boys given the name in a single year was 1,233, in 2020. In 2025 it ranked 384th, with 826 babies.
How to pronounce Khalil
Arabic
- Pronounced kuh-LEEL /kæˈliːl/
Popularity of Khalil in the U.S.
Khalil was the #384 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 826 babies. It peaked at #251 in 1995 and has been in the top 1,000 since 1989. It first appears in the records in 1957.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1957–2025 66 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 826 | 384 | ▲ 8 |
| 2024 | 831 | 392 | ▼ 52 |
| 2023 | 982 | 340 | ▼ 32 |
| 2022 | 1,091 | 308 | ▼ 14 |
| 2021 | 1,148 | 294 | ▼ 20 |
| 2020 | 1,233 | 274 | ▲ 28 |
| 2019 | 1,127 | 302 | ▲ 93 |
| 2018 | 803 | 395 | ▲ 29 |
| 2017 | 733 | 424 | ▲ 20 |
| 2016 | 696 | 444 | ▲ 35 |
| 2015 | 624 | 479 | ▼ 14 |
| 2014 | 625 | 465 | – |
| 2013 | 602 | 465 | ▼ 19 |
| 2012 | 616 | 446 | ▲ 16 |
| 2011 | 580 | 462 | ▲ 39 |
| 2010 | 516 | 501 | ▼ 5 |
| 2009 | 553 | 496 | ▼ 4 |
| 2008 | 557 | 492 | ▼ 11 |
| 2007 | 556 | 481 | ▼ 32 |
| 2006 | 600 | 449 | ▲ 3 |
| 2005 | 566 | 452 | ▼ 34 |
| 2004 | 620 | 418 | ▲ 43 |
| 2003 | 546 | 461 | ▼ 37 |
| 2002 | 583 | 424 | ▼ 24 |
| 2001 | 626 | 400 | ▲ 4 |
| 2000 | 619 | 404 | ▼ 32 |
| 1999 | 700 | 372 | ▲ 28 |
| 1998 | 611 | 400 | ▲ 3 |
| 1997 | 577 | 403 | ▼ 55 |
| 1996 | 714 | 348 | ▼ 97 |
| 1995 | 1,118 | 251 | ▲ 276 |
| 1994 | 372 | 527 | ▲ 88 |
| 1993 | 287 | 615 | ▲ 43 |
| 1992 | 249 | 658 | ▲ 175 |
| 1991 | 154 | 833 | ▲ 18 |
| 1990 | 144 | 851 | ▲ 109 |
| 1989 | 113 | 960 | ▲ 123 |
| 1988 | 84 | 1,083 | ▲ 5 |
| 1987 | 78 | 1,088 | ▼ 65 |
| 1986 | 82 | 1,023 | ▼ 3 |
| 1985 | 80 | 1,020 | ▲ 2 |
| 1984 | 76 | 1,022 | ▲ 45 |
| 1983 | 69 | 1,067 | ▼ 28 |
| 1982 | 76 | 1,039 | ▲ 62 |
| 1981 | 68 | 1,101 | ▼ 54 |
| 1980 | 74 | 1,047 | ▼ 42 |
| 1979 | 78 | 1,005 | ▲ 82 |
| 1978 | 64 | 1,087 | ▲ 90 |
| 1977 | 56 | 1,177 | ▲ 143 |
| 1976 | 45 | 1,320 | ▲ 185 |
| 1975 | 35 | 1,505 | ▲ 624 |
| 1974 | 20 | 2,129 | ▲ 728 |
| 1973 | 12 | 2,857 | ▼ 1,086 |
| 1972 | 25 | 1,771 | ▲ 508 |
| 1971 | 17 | 2,279 | ▲ 612 |
| 1970 | 11 | 2,891 | ▲ 1,044 |
| 1969 | 6 | 3,935 | ▼ 1,735 |
| 1968 | 14 | 2,200 | ▲ 785 |
| 1967 | 8 | 2,985 | ▲ 264 |
| 1966 | 7 | 3,249 | ▼ 5 |
| 1965 | 7 | 3,244 | ▲ 38 |
| 1964 | 7 | 3,282 | back (not recorded in 1963) |
| 1962 | 6 | 3,640 | ▲ 12 |
| 1961 | 6 | 3,652 | ▼ 315 |
| 1960 | 7 | 3,337 | back (not recorded in 1958–1959) |
| 1957 | 5 | 3,993 | new |
Khalil by state
Khalil ranks #82 in the District of Columbia (2025).
Rank by state 35 states and DC
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 82 | 10 |
| Mississippi | 97 | 29 |
| Louisiana | 143 | 35 |
| New Mexico | 270 | 7 |
| Georgia | 272 | 45 |
| South Carolina | 275 | 20 |
| Michigan | 280 | 35 |
| Virginia | 280 | 30 |
| Florida | 294 | 65 |
| Illinois | 297 | 36 |
| Maryland | 300 | 18 |
| Alabama | 315 | 17 |
| Arkansas | 332 | 10 |
| Ohio | 340 | 33 |
| Tennessee | 355 | 24 |
| North Carolina | 372 | 30 |
| Nebraska | 377 | 6 |
| Texas | 383 | 95 |
| Kentucky | 404 | 12 |
| Oklahoma | 426 | 10 |
| Wisconsin | 437 | 11 |
| Missouri | 439 | 14 |
| New York | 455 | 37 |
| Indiana | 483 | 14 |
| California | 500 | 62 |
| Pennsylvania | 506 | 19 |
| Nevada | 516 | 5 |
| Kansas | 524 | 6 |
| Arizona | 527 | 13 |
| Washington | 529 | 13 |
| Massachusetts | 555 | 8 |
| Iowa | 571 | 5 |
| New Jersey | 576 | 12 |
| Oregon | 604 | 5 |
| Colorado | 680 | 7 |
| Minnesota | 807 | 5 |
| U.S. territories | ||
| Puerto Rico | 152 | 10 |
Notable people named Khalil
- Khalil Mack is an American NFL linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers who starred at Buffalo and was drafted fifth overall by the Oakland Raiders in 2014.
- Khalil Ibn Rountree Jr. is an American mixed martial artist in the UFC light heavyweight division, ranked number four as of June 2025.
- Khalil Herbert is an American NFL running back and return specialist for the Seattle Seahawks who starred at Kansas and Virginia Tech, was a 2021 sixth round pick by the Chicago Bears, and has also played for the Cincinnati Bengals.
- Khalil Gibran Muhammad is an American scholar, the inaugural Princeton professor of African American Studies and Public Affairs who leads the Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project, and a former Harvard professor and director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
- Khalil Tate is an American former quarterback who played at the University of Arizona and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as a wide receiver in 2020.
More people named Khalil 2 more
- Khalil Halilu is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur serving as executive vice chairman and CEO of NASENI, appointed by President Bola Tinubu in September 2023.
- Khalil Georges Khamis is a Lebanese footballer who plays center back for Nejmeh and the Lebanon national team.