Gael
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- ga-EL
- Origin
- Celtic
- UK rank, 2025
- #1,537 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #86 for boys
Gael is a boys' name of Celtic origin. In 2025 it ranked 1,537th for boys in the UK (18 babies) and 86th for boys in the US (3,860 babies).
What does Gael mean?
Celtic: French and Breton name from the word Gael
French and Breton name taken from the Gaels, the Gaelic-speaking peoples of Ireland and Scotland.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Gael a girl's or a boy's name?
Gael is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 18 boys in the UK and 6 girls and 3,860 boys in the US.
How popular is Gael in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,537among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 18about 1 in 17,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 8% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 18 boys in the UK were named Gael, making it the 1,537th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,078th. Its busiest year was 2022, with 32 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Gael than any year since 2017.
Half of all the boys named Gael in the UK since 1996 were born between 2015 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,465th in England and Wales.
Gael in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 18 | #1,537 |
| 2024 | 23 | #1,263 |
| 2023 | 30 | #1,072 |
| 2022 | 32 | #1,024 |
| 2021 | 20 | #1,389 |
| 2020 | 28 | #1,078 |
| 2019 | 19 | #1,412 |
| 2018 | 19 | #1,416 |
| 2017 | 18 | #1,490 |
| 2016 | 18 | #1,512 |
| 2015 | 14 | #1,779 |
| 2014 | 9 | #2,378 |
| 2013 | 13 | #1,799 |
| 2012 | 8 | #2,595 |
| 2011 | 1 | #6,218 |
| 2010 | 5 | #3,478 |
| 2009 | 10 | #2,084 |
| 2008 | 6 | #2,906 |
| 2007 | 4 | #3,748 |
| 2006 | 7 | #2,386 |
How popular is Gael in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #86among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 3,860about 1 in 440 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 25% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 3.1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 3,860 boys in the US were named Gael, making it the 86th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 112th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 3,872 boys. It first appears in the records in 1919. 6 girls were also named Gael in 2025 (13,203rd for girls).
Half of all the boys named Gael in the US since 1880 were born between 2013 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 1947, 64% of the babies named Gael in the US were girls. By 2025 it was under 1%, with more boys than girls since 2001.
Gael in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,860 | #86 |
| 2024 | 3,872 | #89 |
| 2023 | 3,629 | #100 |
| 2022 | 3,509 | #104 |
| 2021 | 3,513 | #109 |
| 2020 | 3,262 | #112 |
| 2019 | 2,900 | #133 |
| 2018 | 2,931 | #132 |
| 2017 | 2,239 | #178 |
| 2016 | 2,248 | #178 |
| 2015 | 1,783 | #220 |
| 2014 | 1,809 | #213 |
| 2013 | 2,307 | #177 |
| 2012 | 2,745 | #146 |
| 2011 | 690 | #410 |
| 2010 | 692 | #408 |
| 2009 | 1,003 | #318 |
| 2008 | 1,119 | #298 |
| 2007 | 1,168 | #296 |
| 2006 | 1,026 | #314 |
| 2005 | 1,102 | #297 |
| 2004 | 751 | #370 |
| 2003 | 443 | #526 |
| 2002 | 246 | #719 |
| 2001 | 47 | #2,181 |
| 2000 | 6 | #9,104 |
| 1999 | 12 | #5,311 |
| 1998 | 11 | #5,460 |
| 1997 | 12 | #4,954 |
| 1996 | 10 | #5,528 |
| 1995 | 9 | #5,922 |
| 1994 | 9 | #5,862 |
| 1993 | 17 | #3,655 |
| 1992 | 17 | #3,597 |
| 1991 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 6 | #6,934 |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 0 | – |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 8 | #2,872 |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 7 | #3,009 |
| 1947 | 16 | #1,915 |
| 1946 | 7 | #2,918 |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 7 | #2,829 |
| 1938 | 6 | #3,174 |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 5 | #3,548 |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 5 | #3,999 |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 5 | #4,199 |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 5 | #4,320 |
| 1920 | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 5 | #4,167 |
Names like Gael
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Grayson Hudson Enzo Jaxon Axel Marley Asher Theo Noah Oakley Rowan Jenson
Names related to Gael
More Celtic names
Arthur Imogen Harvey Alana Alan Tristan Vienna Lana Alaina Sabrina Alanna Bryce Devon Arturo Alannah Cedric
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and 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, “Gael: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/gael, updated 20 October 2026.