Gale
Gale was the 6581st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 13 babies. Its best year was 1939, when it ranked 321st; the most babies were born in 1947 (377). Over the last ten years it has moved up 2,435 places. More babies were named Gale in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Gael) Origin uncertain · French, Breton, Spanish
- Rank in 2025
- #6,581 boys, up 3,323 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 13boys
- Girls and boys
- 10% girls, 90% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1947377 babies
- Total since 1880
- 32,343babies recorded
What does the name Gale mean?
Gale is a spelling of Gael, pronounced the same way, so it shares Gael's meaning and origin.
Gael as a boy's name is mainly the Spanish and French name Gael or Gaël, said in two syllables, gah-EL; the Mexican actor Gael García Bernal made it widely known. The French name comes from Brittany. Wiktionary suggests it began as a shortened form of Breton names such as Gwenaël or Judicaël, and calls the reading 'a Gael', meaning an Irish or Scottish Gaelic person, a folk explanation. The English word Gael, said like 'gale', comes from Irish and is a different word, though some parents choose the name with it in mind.
Gaël (French, “short form of Gwenaël or Judicaël (possibly)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Possibly a contraction of Breton Gwenaël or Judicaël; not settled.
Other explanations you may read: Means 'a Gael' (an Irish or Scottish Gaelic person).
Related names: Gaël, Gaëlle, Gwenaël.
See also: Celtic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Gaël', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'Gael', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Gael García Bernal', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Gale popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | #6,581 | — | 13 |
| 2020 | — | #9,904 | — | 7 |
| 2010 | — | — | — | — |
| 2000 | #15,860 | #7,692 | 5 | 8 |
| 1990 | #7,483 | #6,027 | 11 | 8 |
| 1980 | #2,890 | #2,571 | 31 | 19 |
| 1970 | #981 | #1,136 | 128 | 53 |
| 1960 | #393 | #691 | 587 | 129 |
| 1950 | #301 | #372 | 662 | 333 |
| 1940 | #323 | #323 | 389 | 307 |
| 1930 | #1,444 | #419 | 29 | 199 |
| 1920 | #1,325 | #457 | 35 | 176 |
| 1910 | #2,009 | #948 | 7 | 12 |
| 1900 | #1,262 | #865 | 10 | 10 |
| 1890 | — | #1,057 | — | 5 |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Gale, counting every spelling?
Gale is a spelling of Gael, a name family that ranked #93 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #6,581 for Gale on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,873 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gael | 3,860 | #86 | 18,383 |
| Gale | 13 | #6,581 | 47 |
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 Gale?
13 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Gale (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Gale 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 646 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Gale.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Gale?
About 4,500 people born in the US named Gale are alive today, with a median age of 74; half are between 64 and 80. That makes Gale a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Gale: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Gale, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Gale
What does Gale mean?
The origin of Gael is uncertain: Possibly a contraction of Breton Gwenaël or Judicaël; not settled.
How popular is the name Gale?
Gale was the 6581st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 13 babies. Its best year was 1939, when it ranked 321st; the most babies were born in 1947 (377). Over the last ten years it has moved up 2,435 places. More babies were named Gale in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Gale a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 10% girls, 90% boys given the name Gale in the US.