Halle is usually explained as a form of Hallie, a short form of Harriet that goes back to the Germanic Henry and means "home ruler"; it is also the name of a German city. The actress Halle Berry, who was named after a Cleveland department store, made the one-word pronunciation HAL-ee famous. Halle peaked at number 316 in 2002, the year Berry won her Oscar, dipped into the 900s and has climbed back to number 596 in 2025.