Girl · #15,292 in 2026

Nahal

Nahal is a program that combines military service with mostly social welfare and informal education projects such as youth movement activities, as well as training in entrepreneurship in urban development areas. Prior to the 1990s it was a paramilitary Israel Defense Forces program that combined military service and the establishment of agricultural settlements, often in peripheral areas.

Current Rank
#15,292
Peak Rank
#9,802 (1997)
Total Babies
85
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1979
First Year
2022
Last Year
1997
Peak Year
#9802
Peak Rank
85
Total Count
14
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Nahal

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Nahal is a program that combines military service with mostly social welfare and informal education projects such as youth movement activities, as well as training in entrepreneurship in urban development areas. Prior to the 1990s it was a paramilitary Israel Defense Forces program that combined military service and the establishment of agricultural settlements, often in peripheral areas.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
In 1948, a gar'in (core group) of Jewish pioneers wrote to Israel's first and then-current Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion , requesting that members be allowed to do their military service as a group rather than being split up into different units at random. In response to this letter, Ben-Gurion created the Nahal program, which combined military service and farming. Some 108 kibbutzim and agricultural settlements were established by the Nahal, many of them on Israel's borders. Members of Nahal units, known as garinei Nahal (Nahal seeds) have served together in various army units, most famousl

The Story of Nahal

Nahal first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1979, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1997, when 8 Nahals were born — ranking #9,802 that year. As of 2026, Nahal ranks #15,292 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 85 Nahals have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
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VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
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AR
TN
NC
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AK
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NM
OK
LA
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AL
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Top 10
11-50
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500+
No data

Names that sound like Nahal

Phonetically similar names — useful when Nahal 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 Nahal

What does the name Nahal mean?
Nahal is a program that combines military service with mostly social welfare and informal education projects such as youth movement activities, as well as training in entrepreneurship in urban development areas. Prior to the 1990s it was a paramilitary Israel Defense Forces program that combined military service and the establishment of agricultural settlements, often in peripheral areas.
How popular is Nahal in 2026?
In 2026, Nahal ranks #15,292 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Nahal most popular?
Nahal reached its peak popularity in 1997, ranking #9,802 that year with 8 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Nahal most popular?
Nahal has historically been most popular in California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Nahal.
Is Nahal a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Nahal is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Nahal?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Nahal include Wylla, Leti, Lenka. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Wylla
Peak #9802
👧
Leti
Peak #9802
👧
Lenka
Peak #9802
👧
Michalyn
Peak #9802
👧
Adonis
Peak #9802
👧
Olayinka
Peak #9802
👧
Zanobia
Peak #9802
👧
Chamara
Peak #9802

About the name Nahal

Nahal is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1979 and has accumulated 85 births in the dataset. Nahal's peak popularity came in 1997 when it ranked #9,802. Use the chart and map above to compare Nahal's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.