Given name & surname
Kahlil
“a beloved friend”
Kahlil is used as a given name and a surname. One Arabic interpretation is “a beloved friend.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Arabic interpretation is “a beloved friend.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Arabic.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1967. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Kahlil through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,288
- 4,283 boys · 5 girls
- Most popular year
- 1995
- 268 babies
- 2025
- 50
- #2,623 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −15%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 50 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,623 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 13.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 268 in 1995. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,125 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Kahlil’s family of names
Kahlil has a related form in Khalil. Kahlil has a related form in Khaleel. Kahlil has a related form in Kalil.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 16
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Kahlil
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Kahlil, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Aqil
Aqil is a masculine given name from Arabic.
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Abed
“servant, worshipper”
>99% boys
Billal
Billal is a masculine given name from Arabic. It is used in French.
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Iqbal
Iqbal is a masculine given name from Arabic.
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Kaden
“a beloved companion”
99% boys · 1% girls
Hamed
Hamed is a masculine given name from Arabic.
>99% boys