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Home › Baby Names Directory › Anibal

Anibal

♂ Boy

Pronounced AH-nee-bahl /ˈɑ.ni.bɑl/High

Meaning: Spanish and Portuguese form of Hannibal, the Carthaginian general's Phoenician name — 'Baal is gracious' or 'grace of Baal'High

In 30 seconds: Elephants over the Alps, accent over the A: Anibal is Hannibal as the Spanish-speaking world says it — the Carthaginian genius whose name means 'Baal is gracious'. No fava beans involved.
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Origin HighSpanish, Phoenician
MeaningSpanish and Portuguese form of Hannibal, the Carthaginian general's Phoenician name — 'Baal is gracious' or 'grace of Baal'
U.S. rank (2025)#3128 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births38 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1990
Total births (all-time)≈ 3,928

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199019142025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Anibal (Aníbal) is the Spanish-Portuguese form of Hannibal — Phoenician Hanniba'al, 'Baal is gracious' — the Carthaginian commander whose Alpine elephants and battlefield genius haunted Rome for a generation. Iberia, once Carthage's province, kept his name in respectable rotation: presidents of Portugal-adjacent history (Aníbal Cavaco Silva) and Mexican boxers alike.

In the U.S. the name lives in Latino families, untroubled by Hollywood's cannibal namesake of a different spelling. Rare, accented, and unconquered.

Did you know? Hannibal crossed the Alps with war elephants in 218 BC and stayed undefeated in Italy for fifteen years — Rome's nightmare became Latin America's respectable first name.
Overall data confidence 88%
Behind the Name — Hannibal — etymology

Variations

AníbalHannibalAnnibale

Nicknames

AniBali

Famous Bearers

  • ★Aníbal Cavaco Silva (1939–present)
    Portuguese economist who served as prime minister and president of Portugal.

If you like Anibal…

Hector— a fellow ancient-warrior classic in Latino use
Horacio— the companion Latin literary name
Cristobal— lands in the same popularity range
Augusto— a fellow Spanish choice
Yovani— shares Anibal's Spanish roots

Explore names like Anibal

By themehispanichistoricalancient
By meaningGrace

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Anibal mean?

Anibal is the Spanish form of Hannibal, the Carthaginian name meaning 'Baal is gracious'.

How do you pronounce Anibal?

It's said AH-nee-bahl /ˈɑ.ni.bɑl/ — three syllables, stress on the first.

Is Anibal a boy or girl name?

Anibal is a boy's name.

How popular is Anibal?

Anibal is a rare name in the U.S., traditional in Latin America and Iberia.

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