Abel
Abel was the 231st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,525 babies. Its best year was 2015, when it ranked 124th with 3,245 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 107 places. More babies were named Abel in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Hebrew
Say it AY-buhl /ˈeɪbəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #231 boys, down 50 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,525boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20153,245 babies
- Total since 1880
- 66,198babies recorded
What does the name Abel mean?
Abel is the second son of Adam and Eve in Genesis, killed by his brother Cain. DMNES says the name is traditionally derived from Hebrew hevel, 'breath, vapor; vanity'. Wiktionary and Wikipedia add a second proposal, an Akkadian word ablu, 'son'. DMNES notes that Abel was moderately common in England in the 13th century, fell out of use, and was revived in the late 16th century.
הֶבֶל (Biblical Hebrew, “Hevel, Abel; breath, vapor”)ablu (Akkadian, “son (alternative)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Traditional 'breath, vapor' versus Akkadian 'son'.
Related names: Abell, Habel.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Abel', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Hebrew Bible, Genesis 4:2, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
- Wiktionary, entry 'Abel', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Abel (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Abel
The usual nicknames for Abel are Abe. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Abel in the last five years, 4 were named Abe, against 6 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abe · also for Abraham, Abram | Traditional | #2,207 | 303 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Abels go by each one.
Abel popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 161 since 1975, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #231 | 1,525 |
| 2020 | #181 | 2,131 |
| 2010 | #293 | 1,128 |
| 2000 | #352 | 763 |
| 1990 | #382 | 606 |
| 1980 | #366 | 474 |
| 1970 | #480 | 283 |
| 1960 | #505 | 247 |
| 1950 | #514 | 170 |
| 1940 | #589 | 101 |
| 1930 | #540 | 122 |
| 1920 | #732 | 79 |
| 1910 | #981 | 11 |
| 1900 | #649 | 15 |
| 1890 | #511 | 14 |
| 1880 | #640 | 9 |
How popular is Abel, counting every spelling?
Abel is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #246 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #231 for Abel on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,544 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abel | 1,525 | #231 | 8,543 |
| Able | 19 | #5,046 | 115 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Abel?
1,525 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Abel (0.42 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Abel born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Abel.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Abel?
About 60,300 people born in the US named Abel are alive today, with a median age of 14; half are between 8 and 31. That makes Abel mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Abel by state
How common Abel was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maine (2.4×), New Hampshire (2.1×), New Mexico (2.1×), Nevada (2.0×), Arizona (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Delaware, New Jersey, North Dakota.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Abel: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Abel, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Abel · Sibling names for Abel
Questions about the name Abel
What does Abel mean?
The origin of Abel is uncertain: Traditional 'breath, vapor' versus Akkadian 'son'.
How popular is the name Abel?
Abel was the 231st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,525 babies. Its best year was 2015, when it ranked 124th with 3,245 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 107 places. More babies were named Abel in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Abel a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Abel in the US.
Where is Abel most popular?
In 2021–2025, Abel was most common in Maine (2.37 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Hampshire and New Mexico.