A Name Story by Houdhoud
خَلِيل
Khalil
kha-LEEL
“Close friend, beloved.”
About Khalil
Khalil is a Muslim baby boy's name meaning "close friend, beloved", an Arabic name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.
From the Arabic root خ-ل-ل meaning 'intimate friendship'. The Qur'an says Allah took Ibrahim (peace be upon him) as a khalil, an intimate friend (4:125).
Widely used across Arab families.
Spellings of Khalil
خَلِيل is one name, written in Latin letters in more than one way. Every spelling below is the same name.
| Spelling | Births in England and Wales, 2025 | Births in France, 2016 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Khalilthe spelling used on this page | 128 | 2,125 |
| Khaleel | 32 | 30 |
Babies registered with exactly that spelling. England and Wales: Office for National Statistics, 2025 (the list covers names given to 3 or more babies). France: INSEE Fichier des prénoms, 2016 to 2025 added together (INSEE rounds each yearly count to the nearest 5).
Origin & roots
Origin
Arabic
Gender
Boy
Root letters
In Arabic, root letters are the seed that gives a word its meaning. Every word built from them inherits that family of meaning, and Khalil is one such word.
Across history
Who has carried Khalil before.
- Khalil Gibran (1883–1931), Lebanese-American poet
How to say it
Stressed syllable in capitals
Discover names like Khalil
Other names with the same heart: close in origin, sound, and spirit.
Common questions about Khalil
- What does the name Khalil mean?
- Khalil (خَلِيل) means "Close friend, beloved". From the Arabic root خ-ل-ل meaning 'intimate friendship'. The Qur'an says Allah took Ibrahim (peace be upon him) as a khalil, an intimate friend (4:125).
- Is Khalil a name from the Qur'an?
- Houdhoud doesn't show a verse for this name. Khalil is an Arabic name long carried across the Muslim world. We only show a Qur'anic verse when it's verified against the Tanzil corpus.
- Is Khalil a boy or a girl name?
- Khalil is traditionally a boy's name.
- Where does the name Khalil come from?
- Khalil is an Arabic name, built on the root letters Kh-L-L. Widely used across Arab families.
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