How Many People Are Named Hale?
An estimated 747 people in the United States have the first name Hale. It is predominantly male (98.9%). The average bearer is 36 years old, and Hale peaked in popularity in 1917 with 30 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Hale as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Hale paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
747
About 1 in 458,841 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
98.9% confidence
Average Age
36
years old
Peak Year
1917
30 births
Total Registered
1,283
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Hale
Hale is predominantly male (98.9%), though 14 female births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Hale as a male name
Ranked #6,961 in 2024
12 male births in 2024
Peak: 1917 (30 births)
Hale as a female name
Ranked #16,187 in 2007
6 female births in 2007
Peak: 1998 (8 births)
Hale in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,072 people with the first name Hale, which placed it at #11,801 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Hale was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 1,072 people with this name in that snapshot, 74.0% were male and 26.0% were female. That is less heavily male than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 98.9% male.
Census Count
1,072
people with this name
Census Rank
#11,801
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.35
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Hale was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (77.72%). The next largest recorded groups were Asian and Pacific Islander (7.15%) and Black (5.11%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Hale in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Hale.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 77.72% | 837 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 7.15% | 77 |
| Black | 5.11% | 55 |
| Two or More Races | 4.92% | 53 |
| Hispanic | 4.09% | 44 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.02% | 11 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Hale: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Hale span from the 1890s to the 2020s, covering 13 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 214 babies were registered. While Hale is less common than at its peak in the 1920s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Hale by Decade
How has Hale tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Hale by State
Hale + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Hale as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Hale
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
Hale: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hale?
We estimate approximately 747 people named Hale are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 458,841 Americans share this first name.
Is Hale a common name?
Hale is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 88.1% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 1,283 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Hale most popular?
Hale reached peak popularity in 1917, when 30 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Hale is approximately 36 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Hale in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 1,072 people with the first name Hale. That placed it at #11,801 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.35 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Hale was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Hale?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Hale was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 74.0% male and 26.0% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Hale?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Hale was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (77.72%). The next largest recorded groups were Asian and Pacific Islander (7.15%) and Black (5.11%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Hale a male name?
Hale is predominantly male. 98.9% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Hale have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Hale peaked in 1917, and the average living bearer is about 36 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Hale Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Hale Smith, Hale Johnson, Hale Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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