Able is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “breath”, spelling of Abel, matching the English word able. Sounds like Abel, the son of Adam and Eve, whose Hebrew name Hevel means 'breath'; it is also the English word able.

Able

Gender: Boy
Say it: AY-bul
Origin: Hebrew
US rank, 2025: #5,044 for boys

Able is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “breath”. In 2025 it ranked 5,044th for boys in the US (19 babies).

What does Able mean?

Hebrew: spelling of Abel, matching the English word able

“breath”

Sounds like Abel, the son of Adam and Eve, whose Hebrew name Hevel means 'breath'; it is also the English word able.

Is Able a girl's or a boy's name?

Able is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 19 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Able in the US?

Rank in 2025: #5,044among boys
Babies in 2025: 19about 1 in 90,000 boys
Five-year trend: Fallingdown 41% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 19 boys in the US were named Able, making it the 5,044th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 3,568th. Its busiest year was 2014, with 45 boys. It first appears in the records in 1912.

Half of all the boys named Able in the US since 1880 were born between 1980 and 2015, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 1,544 boys in the US were given Able or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #252, up from #5,044 for this spelling alone.

Abel 1,525
Able 19

1912Busiest: 45 in 20142025

Able in the US, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	19	#5,044
2024	18	#5,237
2023	14	#6,215
2022	33	#3,462
2021	31	#3,579
2020	30	#3,568
2019	22	#4,476
2018	35	#3,237
2017	34	#3,310
2016	40	#2,934
2015	41	#2,863
2014	45	#2,659
2013	41	#2,802
2012	33	#3,294
2011	33	#3,305
2010	22	#4,365
2009	24	#4,158
2008	19	#4,897
2007	26	#3,891
2006	14	#5,777
2005	15	#5,273
2004	14	#5,487
2003	12	#5,870
2002	9	#7,048
2001	11	#6,006
2000	16	#4,567
1999	15	#4,531
1998	12	#5,153
1997	17	#3,872
1996	8	#6,489
1995	10	#5,495
1994	10	#5,446
1993	0	–
1992	8	#6,120
1991	11	#4,752
1990	8	#5,816
1989	15	#3,612
1988	8	#5,194
1987	10	#4,233
1986	6	#5,920
1985	0	–
1984	8	#4,549
1983	11	#3,629
1982	10	#3,964
1981	14	#3,028
1980	13	#3,255
1979	11	#3,567
1978	6	#5,056
1977	0	–
1976	7	#4,416
1975	13	#2,900
1974	10	#3,316
1973	6	#4,503
1972	11	#2,989
1971	9	#3,368
1970	0	–
1969	6	#3,934
1968	0	–
1967	8	#2,984
1966	0	–
1965	0	–
1964	6	#3,600
1963	0	–
1962	5	#4,031
1961	8	#3,095
1960	9	#2,869
1959	8	#3,036
1958	7	#3,273
1957	5	#3,991
1956	6	#3,533
1955	6	#3,503
1954	0	–
1953	0	–
1952	8	#2,872
1951	9	#2,660
1950	0	–
1949	8	#2,801
1948	0	–
1947	0	–
1946	0	–
1945	0	–
1944	0	–
1943	6	#3,229
1942	6	#3,211
1941	0	–
1940	0	–
1939	0	–
1938	5	#3,533
1937	0	–
1936	0	–
1935	0	–
1934	0	–
1933	0	–
1932	6	#3,360
1931	0	–
1930	8	#3,020
1929	0	–
1928	0	–
1927	8	#3,150
1926	0	–
1925	0	–
1924	0	–
1923	6	#3,819
1922	6	#3,870
1921	5	#4,320
1920	12	#2,458
1919	5	#4,167
1918	12	#2,397
1917	8	#2,955
1916	0	–
1915	0	–
1914	0	–
1913	0	–
1912	5	#2,543

Names like Able

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Asher Axel Noah Ace Levi Eli Adriel Judah Zeke Jude Abram Jonah

Other spellings of Able

Abel

More Hebrew names

Isabella Elijah James Jack Mia Ava Ezra Benjamin Isaac Jacob Ethan Daniel Samuel Elias Mateo Elsie

Every Hebrew name

Sources

Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Able: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/able, updated 20 October 2026.