| Amal | Hilal | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | hope, aspiration | Crescent moon |
| Origin | arabic | arabic |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Pronunciation | ah-MAHL | hee-LAHL |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1962 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2021 (241) | 2022 (12) |
| In 2025 | 181 | 0 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Amal | Hilal |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,230 | 48 |
| 2010s | 1,142 | 12 |
| 2000s | 738 | 15 |
| 1990s | 526 | 5 |
| 1980s | 306 | 0 |
| 1970s | 163 | 0 |
| 1960s | 36 | 0 |
An Arabic name meaning 'hope' or 'aspiration' (from the root a-m-l, 'to hope for'). Flag: used for both sexes, though far more common for girls; also note a distinct Hebrew word 'amal' meaning 'labor/toil', which is an unrelated sense.
Hilal is the Arabic word for the new crescent moon that marks the start of a lunar month. Used for both genders (predominantly feminine in Turkey). A literal moon name.
Amal is more popular than Hilal today: about 181 US babies were given the name Amal in 2025, compared with 0 named Hilal.
Amal means hope, aspiration (arabic origin), while Hilal means Crescent moon (arabic origin).
In US records, Amal first appears in 1962 and Hilal in 0, so Hilal has the longer recorded history.