what is hal short for

Hal is a nickname and a diminutive form of several masculine given names, including Harold, Henry, and Harvey. It is also sometimes used as an independent given name. Hal is famously used by Shakespeare in King Henry IV as the name of the kings son, the future Henry V. Other notable people with the name Hal include film director Hal Ashby and singer Hal Willis. In addition, Hal is the name of several fictional characters, including Prince Hal from Shakespeare's plays, HAL 9000 from Arthur C. Clarke's fiction, and Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) from DC Comics.