Meshal
Khaled Mashal is a Palestinian politician who served as the second chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau from 1996 until May 2017, when he was succeeded by Ismail Haniyeh. He has been the acting leader of Hamas twice, from July 2024 until August 2024 and since October 2024, after both leaders were assassinated by Israel.
Meaning & Origin of Meshal
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Khaled Mashal is a Palestinian politician who served as the second chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau from 1996 until May 2017, when he was succeeded by Ismail Haniyeh. He has been the acting leader of Hamas twice, from July 2024 until August 2024 and since October 2024, after both leaders were assassinated by Israel.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Meshal
Meshal first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 2009, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 9 Meshals were born — ranking #8,145 that year. As of 2026, Meshal ranks #12,323 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 51 Meshals have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Meshal
Phonetically similar names — useful when Meshal is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Meshal
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About the name Meshal
Meshal is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2009 and has accumulated 51 births in the dataset. Meshal's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #8,145. Use the chart and map above to compare Meshal's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2016 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.