Bilal
Boy name · #1214 in 2025 · Rare
Bilal ranks #1214 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 167 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1216, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 10,778 boys born in 2025 was named Bilal.
Babies named Bilal per year. Source: SSA.
The 61-year story
Bilal first appears in the Social Security records in 1964, when 7 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2018, when 195 boys were named Bilal — good for #1040 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Bilal against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Bilal in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Bilal is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Bilal will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Bilal is most common
Geography matters for names, and Bilal is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Bilal is most common in MN (0.5 per 1,000), PA (0.2 per 1,000), NY (0.2 per 1,000), IL (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Bilal is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Bilal
Statistically, parents drawn to Bilal tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Blaise, Mikael, Bishop, Osiel, and Ishmael.
BlaiseMikaelBishopOsielIshmaelBlazeTorinYoel
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Bilal | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 167 | #1212 |
| 2024 | 175 | #1181 |
| 2023 | 180 | #1156 |
| 2022 | 166 | #1200 |
| 2021 | 152 | #1253 |
| 2020 | 141 | #1288 |
| 2019 | 152 | #1239 |
| 2018 | 195 | #1040 |
| 2017 | 168 | #1132 |
| 2016 | 167 | #1149 |
| 2015 | 151 | #1216 |
| 2014 | 149 | #1225 |
| 2013 | 138 | #1261 |
| 2012 | 155 | #1172 |
| 2011 | 166 | #1108 |
| 2010 | 139 | #1256 |
| 2009 | 147 | #1218 |
| 2008 | 139 | #1251 |
| 2007 | 135 | #1287 |
| 2006 | 124 | #1322 |
| 2005 | 142 | #1139 |
| 2004 | 149 | #1071 |
| 2003 | 146 | #1060 |
| 2002 | 168 | #954 |
| 2001 | 136 | #1059 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Bilal a popular boy name?
Bilal ranked #1214 among boys in 2025 with 167 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1216.
When was the name Bilal most popular?
Bilal peaked in 2018, when 195 American boys received the name (ranked #1040 that year). Since 2018 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Bilal?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 10,778 newborn American boys was named Bilal. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.