Abel
Boy · AY-bel · Hebrew
Abel is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “breath, vapour”. In 2025 it ranked 195th for boys in the UK (289 babies) and 231st for boys in the US (1,525 babies).
What does Abel mean?
Hebrew
“breath, vapour”
In Genesis Abel is the second son of Adam and Eve, killed by his brother Cain.
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- AY-bel
More on Wiktionary.
Is Abel a girl's or a boy's name?
Abel is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 289 boys in the UK and 5 girls and 1,525 boys in the US.
How popular is Abel in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #195among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 289about 1 in 1,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 29% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.3%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 289 boys in the UK were named Abel, making it the 195th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 212th. Its busiest year was 2023, with 383 boys.
2025 had fewer boys named Abel than any year since 2020.
Half of all the boys named Abel in the UK since 1996 were born between 2016 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 195th in England and Wales, 190th in Scotland and 270th in Northern Ireland.
Abel in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 289 | #195 |
| 2024 | 322 | #178 |
| 2023 | 383 | #158 |
| 2022 | 339 | #169 |
| 2021 | 339 | #175 |
| 2020 | 264 | #212 |
| 2019 | 249 | #235 |
| 2018 | 260 | #223 |
| 2017 | 304 | #200 |
| 2016 | 266 | #231 |
| 2015 | 182 | #302 |
| 2014 | 146 | #344 |
| 2013 | 113 | #413 |
| 2012 | 73 | #558 |
| 2011 | 74 | #537 |
| 2010 | 52 | #679 |
| 2009 | 39 | #818 |
| 2008 | 38 | #824 |
| 2007 | 46 | #687 |
| 2006 | 48 | #652 |
| 2005 | 26 | #944 |
| 2004 | 33 | #763 |
| 2003 | 19 | #1,046 |
| 2002 | 18 | #1,030 |
| 2001 | 14 | #1,149 |
| 2000 | 21 | #862 |
| 1999 | 10 | #1,352 |
| 1998 | 16 | #980 |
| 1997 | 14 | #1,066 |
| 1996 | 9 | #1,394 |
How popular is Abel in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #231among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,525about 1 in 1,100 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 34% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.2%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,525 boys in the US were named Abel, making it the 231st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 181st. Its busiest year was 2015, with 3,245 boys. 5 girls were also named Abel in 2025 (14,937th for girls).
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 10 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Abel than any year since 2011.
Half of all the boys named Abel in the US since 1880 were born between 1989 and 2017, the years shaded on the chart below.
Abel in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,525 | #231 |
| 2024 | 1,635 | #220 |
| 2023 | 1,658 | #220 |
| 2022 | 1,769 | #215 |
| 2021 | 1,956 | #195 |
| 2020 | 2,131 | #181 |
| 2019 | 2,469 | #158 |
| 2018 | 2,682 | #146 |
| 2017 | 2,714 | #145 |
| 2016 | 3,045 | #137 |
| 2015 | 3,245 | #124 |
| 2014 | 2,573 | #164 |
| 2013 | 2,238 | #180 |
| 2012 | 1,952 | #192 |
| 2011 | 1,508 | #238 |
| 2010 | 1,128 | #293 |
| 2009 | 964 | #330 |
| 2008 | 864 | #361 |
| 2007 | 940 | #343 |
| 2006 | 924 | #338 |
| 2005 | 855 | #347 |
| 2004 | 791 | #356 |
| 2003 | 755 | #360 |
| 2002 | 775 | #353 |
| 2001 | 733 | #362 |
| 2000 | 763 | #352 |
| 1999 | 711 | #367 |
| 1998 | 668 | #378 |
| 1997 | 718 | #352 |
| 1996 | 606 | #387 |
| 1995 | 717 | #340 |
| 1994 | 584 | #399 |
| 1993 | 620 | #377 |
| 1992 | 631 | #370 |
| 1991 | 623 | #370 |
| 1990 | 606 | #382 |
| 1989 | 541 | #400 |
| 1988 | 514 | #384 |
| 1987 | 458 | #407 |
| 1986 | 482 | #381 |
| 1985 | 462 | #387 |
| 1984 | 426 | #400 |
| 1983 | 426 | #391 |
| 1982 | 468 | #371 |
| 1981 | 479 | #365 |
| 1980 | 474 | #366 |
| 1979 | 428 | #389 |
| 1978 | 371 | #400 |
| 1977 | 347 | #424 |
| 1976 | 395 | #390 |
| 1975 | 382 | #396 |
| 1974 | 330 | #435 |
| 1973 | 361 | #412 |
| 1972 | 321 | #443 |
| 1971 | 310 | #465 |
| 1970 | 283 | #480 |
| 1969 | 277 | #458 |
| 1968 | 267 | #465 |
| 1967 | 251 | #475 |
| 1966 | 256 | #480 |
| 1965 | 283 | #462 |
| 1964 | 273 | #478 |
| 1963 | 272 | #484 |
| 1962 | 258 | #494 |
| 1961 | 281 | #477 |
| 1960 | 247 | #505 |
| 1959 | 226 | #524 |
| 1958 | 241 | #499 |
| 1957 | 236 | #503 |
| 1956 | 215 | #514 |
| 1955 | 215 | #503 |
| 1954 | 223 | #483 |
| 1953 | 217 | #472 |
| 1952 | 162 | #548 |
| 1951 | 183 | #499 |
| 1950 | 170 | #513 |
| 1949 | 161 | #524 |
| 1948 | 151 | #539 |
| 1947 | 146 | #558 |
| 1946 | 117 | #592 |
| 1945 | 113 | #567 |
| 1944 | 118 | #559 |
| 1943 | 92 | #668 |
| 1942 | 105 | #615 |
| 1941 | 121 | #535 |
| 1940 | 101 | #589 |
| 1939 | 95 | #594 |
| 1938 | 87 | #640 |
| 1937 | 91 | #609 |
| 1936 | 75 | #685 |
| 1935 | 92 | #605 |
| 1934 | 93 | #615 |
| 1933 | 96 | #591 |
| 1932 | 95 | #607 |
| 1931 | 93 | #616 |
| 1930 | 122 | #540 |
| 1929 | 96 | #620 |
| 1928 | 85 | #685 |
| 1927 | 79 | #733 |
| 1926 | 101 | #622 |
| 1925 | 83 | #710 |
| 1924 | 110 | #608 |
| 1923 | 73 | #769 |
| 1922 | 91 | #678 |
| 1921 | 84 | #715 |
| 1920 | 79 | #732 |
| 1919 | 91 | #638 |
| 1918 | 76 | #733 |
| 1917 | 86 | #640 |
| 1916 | 62 | #781 |
| 1915 | 64 | #750 |
| 1914 | 51 | #734 |
| 1913 | 48 | #641 |
| 1912 | 40 | #668 |
| 1911 | 30 | #548 |
| 1910 | 11 | #980 |
| 1909 | 16 | #679 |
| 1908 | 15 | #685 |
| 1907 | 10 | #865 |
| 1906 | 11 | #752 |
| 1905 | 6 | #1,090 |
| 1904 | 10 | #760 |
| 1903 | 14 | #595 |
| 1902 | 11 | #686 |
| 1901 | 13 | #559 |
| 1900 | 15 | #648 |
| 1899 | 15 | #502 |
| 1898 | 10 | #700 |
| 1897 | 12 | #615 |
| 1896 | 15 | #534 |
| 1895 | 6 | #977 |
| 1894 | 15 | #521 |
| 1893 | 13 | #538 |
| 1892 | 8 | #791 |
| 1891 | 10 | #597 |
| 1890 | 14 | #511 |
| 1889 | 9 | #673 |
| 1888 | 8 | #755 |
| 1887 | 11 | #544 |
| 1886 | 16 | #451 |
| 1885 | 6 | #835 |
| 1884 | 14 | #504 |
| 1883 | 12 | #527 |
| 1882 | 10 | #611 |
| 1881 | 12 | #503 |
| 1880 | 9 | #640 |
Names like Abel
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Axel Asher Gabriel Jonah Levi Eli Tobias Caleb Raphael Noah Elias Austin
Other spellings of Abel
Names related to Abel
More Hebrew names
Isabella Elijah James Jack Mia Ava Jude Ezra Benjamin Isaac Jacob Ethan Daniel Samuel Mateo Elsie