| Hilal | Amal | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Crescent moon | hope, aspiration |
| Origin | arabic | arabic |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Pronunciation | hee-LAHL | ah-MAHL |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1962 |
| Peak year | 2022 (12) | 2021 (241) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 181 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Hilal | Amal |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 48 | 1,230 |
| 2010s | 12 | 1,142 |
| 2000s | 15 | 738 |
| 1990s | 5 | 526 |
| 1980s | 0 | 306 |
| 1970s | 0 | 163 |
| 1960s | 0 | 36 |
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.
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.
Amal is more popular than Hilal today: about 181 US babies were given the name Amal in 2025, compared with 0 named Hilal.
Hilal means Crescent moon (arabic origin), while Amal means hope, aspiration (arabic origin).
In US records, Hilal first appears in 0 and Amal in 1962, so Hilal has the longer recorded history.