Khalil

خَلِيل

Boy Arabic /kha-LEEL/ #14311 in 2023

Khalil is a boy name of Arabic origin.

Meaning of Khalil

"Close friend, sincere companion." Epithet of the Prophet Ibrahim, known as Khalīl Allāh ("the friend of God"), Qur'an 4:125.

Arabic root: kh-l-l — (خ-ل-ل, close friendship)

Regional variants

Carries extra resonance for Arab-American families familiar with the Lebanese-American poet Khalil Gibran, whose book *The Prophet* is a US literary staple.

Popularity of Khalil

Popularity, 1957–2023

988 births in 2023

1957 2023

23,360 U.S. births recorded from 1957–2023. Used for both boys and girls — see notes below.

Peak year

2020

1,240 babies

First recorded

1957

66 years of history

Recent trend

Rising

Last 5 yrs vs. prior 5

Variants & nicknames

KhaleelKalil

Famous people named Khalil

Khalil Gibran (Lebanese-American poet)
Khalil Mack (NFL player)

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meaning and cultural context drawn from classical sources: Lisan al-Arab, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Qur'an and Sunnah. If you spot an error, please let us know.