Annabel
Annabel was the 2065th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 91 babies. Its best year was 2014, when it ranked 447th with 716 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,444 places. More babies were named Annabel in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Annabelle) lovable (from Amabel); folk 'beautiful Anna' · Latin, Scottish, English
- Rank in 2025
- #2,065 girls, down 850 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 91girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2014716 babies
- Total since 1880
- 14,974babies recorded
What does the name Annabel mean?
Annabel is a spelling of Annabelle, pronounced the same way, so it shares Annabelle's meaning and origin.
Annabelle is a spelling of Annabel, a Scottish name recorded since the 12th century. Wiktionary explains Annabel as a mishearing or misreading of Latin amabilis, "lovable", the same source as Amabel and Mabel; DMNES records Amabel in England from the late 12th century. The popular reading "beautiful Anna", from Anna plus French belle, is a folk etymology, though it has clearly shaped the modern -belle spelling.
amabilis (Latin, “lovable”)
How sure is this? Probable. The link to Amabel is the standard view; the name's early Scottish history is only partly documented.
Other explanations you may read: Anna + belle, 'beautiful Anna'.
Related names: Annabel, Amabel, Mabel, Anabel, Belle.
See also: Latin names, names that mean love.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Annabelle', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Annabel', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Amabel', DMNES, Durham University
Annabel popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,065 | 91 |
| 2020 | #1,215 | 188 |
| 2010 | #629 | 467 |
| 2000 | #941 | 227 |
| 1990 | #1,326 | 122 |
| 1980 | #1,805 | 60 |
| 1970 | #2,579 | 28 |
| 1960 | #2,015 | 32 |
| 1950 | #1,724 | 30 |
| 1940 | #1,519 | 26 |
| 1930 | #926 | 62 |
| 1920 | #628 | 130 |
| 1910 | #630 | 45 |
| 1900 | #568 | 37 |
| 1890 | #603 | 19 |
| 1880 | #467 | 13 |
How popular is Annabel, counting every spelling?
Annabel is a spelling of Annabelle, a name family that ranked #298 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,065 for Annabel on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,092 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annabelle | 891 | #343 | 4,849 |
| Annabel | 91 | #2,065 | 638 |
| Anabelle | 56 | #2,960 | 362 |
| Anabel | 33 | #4,270 | 210 |
| Annabell | 21 | #5,742 | 120 |
| Anabell | — | — | 30 |
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 Annabel?
91 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Annabel (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Annabel 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 92 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Annabel.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Annabel?
About 11,700 people born in the US named Annabel are alive today, with a median age of 17; half are between 12 and 28. That makes Annabel 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.
Annabel by state
How common Annabel was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Massachusetts (2.8×), New York (2.0×). In 34 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Annabel: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Annabel, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Annabel
What does Annabel mean?
Annabel is a spelling of Annabelle, which means “lovable (from Amabel); folk 'beautiful Anna'” (Latin, Scottish, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Annabel?
Annabel was the 2065th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 91 babies. Its best year was 2014, when it ranked 447th with 716 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,444 places. More babies were named Annabel in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Annabel a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Annabel in the US.
Where is Annabel most popular?
In 2021–2025, Annabel was most common in Massachusetts (0.22 per 1,000 girls), followed by New York and Virginia.