Bilal is an Arabic name that means "moisture" or "water", in the sense of something refreshing. It is honored throughout the Muslim world as the name of Bilal ibn Rabah, a freed slave of Ethiopian descent who became the first muezzin and called the early Muslims to prayer. In the United States Bilal entered the top 1000 in 2002 at number 954, its peak, and has stayed close to that line since, ranking 1212 in 2025.