Khalil
Khalil is a boys' name of Arabic origin meaning “friend, companion, intimate.” It ranked #384 in the United States in 2025. Khalil is an Arabic name meaning 'friend' or 'intimate companion.
how do you pronounce Khalil?
kah-LEEL
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Khalil mean?
The name Khalil means “friend, companion, intimate.” It comes from the Arabic language tradition.
Khalil is an Arabic name meaning 'friend' or 'intimate companion.' In Islam, the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) holds the title Khalilullah, 'Friend of God.' The name was made famous in the West by Lebanese-American poet Khalil Gibran.
where does the name Khalil come from?
Wikipedia glosses Khalil, also spelled Khaleel, as meaning friend, used as a common male given name across the Middle East, the Caucasus, the Balkans, North, West, and East Africa, Central Asia, and among Muslims in South Asia, as well as among Turkic peoples of Russia and African Americans. The source gives the female counterpart as Khalila or Khaleela.
the history of Khalil
The source notes that in Islam, Abraham is given the title Khalīl-ullah, pairing khalil (friend) with a form of God's name — the source doesn't translate the title directly, but it is commonly rendered as Friend of God.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #384 |
| 2024 | #392 |
| 2023 | #340 |
| 2022 | #308 |
| 2021 | #294 |
| 2020 | #274 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Khalil?
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Khalil?
- Khalil Gibran (Lebanese-American poet and artist)
- Khalil Mack (American NFL player)
what names go well with Khalil?
Sibling names that share Khalil's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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