Halle
HAL
Halle is a variant of Hallie, itself derived from the Old English surname Hall, meaning “dweller by or in the hall”—a large public building or great house. It can also be read as a short form of Halley or a pet form of names ending in -hala.
The name draws additional recognition from Halle in Germany, a city on the Saale river whose name shares the same Germanic root.
As a given name in the US, it gained significant visibility through actress Halle Berry, born 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio, and named after the Halle’s department store where her parents met.
What the name Halle means
Halle peaked at No. 316 in 2002 with 971 births—near the year Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 2024 it ranks No. 575 with 524 births.
The Oscar win in 2002, the first for a Black woman in the lead actress category, generated considerable naming attention. The spike in that year is clearly visible in SSA data.
Two syllables—HAL-ee—are light and accessible. The name can be pronounced identically to Hallie, causing occasional spelling confusion, but it reads as visually crisp.
Parents today choosing Halle often know the Berry connection but may be drawn equally to the name’s vintage feel and its short, syllable-efficient form.
Related names include Hallie, Hali, and the more elaborate Halley (which invokes the comet named for astronomer Edmond Halley), each offering a slightly different register.
US popularity over time
Numerology and symbolism
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Famous people named Halle
Halle - similar names
Not seeing what you want? Browse all names by origin or popularity