Declining since 2021, #8,910 for boys today.
Popularity of Calil since 1997
Babies named Calil per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 20 |
| 2000s | 78 |
| 2010s | 59 |
| 2020s | 64 |
Meaning & origin
Calil entered the U.S. Social Security data in 1997 as a modern anglicization of the classic Arabic name Khalil. While the original Khalil has a long history in the Muslim world, Calil is a much rarer form: it peaked in 2021, and by 2025 it ranked 8,910th, with approximately 1 in 213,510 boys receiving the name. Spelling variants like Khalil and Khaleel are far more common. The trajectory has been falling since 2021, suggesting a brief window of interest that has waned. Because Calil has not charted in any top states, its use remains scattered.
Calil is a variant of Khalil, derived from the Arabic root kh-l-l, meaning 'friend' or 'companion'. The name is closely associated with the Islamic tradition, where Khalil Allah ('Friend of God') is an honorific for the prophet Abraham. It has been used across the Arabic-speaking world and among Muslim communities globally. The spelling Calil is a common anglicized form.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Cali, Lil
Sibling names for Calil
Names that share Calil's style, for a brother or sister.
