Mabel
Mabel was the 201st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,522 babies. Its best year was 1891, when it ranked 15th; the most babies were born in 1915 (3,683). Over the last ten years it has moved up 377 places. More babies were named Mabel in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Meaning lovable · Latin, English
Say it MAY-bul /ˈmeɪbəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #201 girls, up 227 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,522girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19153,683 babies
- Total since 1880
- 142,693babies recorded
What does the name Mabel mean?
Mabel is a medieval short form of Amabel, from Latin amabilis, "lovable". DMNES lists English records of Mabilia, Mabbel and similar forms from the late 12th century, under the full form Amabel. Yonge's History of Christian Names (1884) glosses it "beloved", in line with the Latin. It is unrelated to French ma belle, "my beautiful one", a link that is sometimes suggested.
amabilis (Latin, “lovable”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Other explanations you may read: from French ma belle 'my beautiful'.
Related names: Amabel, Mable, Mae, Annabel.
See also: Latin names, names that mean love.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Mabel', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Amabel', DMNES, Durham University
- Charlotte M. Yonge, History of Christian Names, new ed. (1884), index s.v. 'Mabel' (19th-century work; used for dated usage facts only), Macmillan (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
Mabel popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 409 since 1883.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #201 | 1,522 |
| 2020 | #428 | 718 |
| 2010 | #1,332 | 177 |
| 2000 | #2,152 | 75 |
| 1990 | #1,839 | 78 |
| 1980 | #1,548 | 76 |
| 1970 | #1,590 | 60 |
| 1960 | #917 | 134 |
| 1950 | #549 | 228 |
| 1940 | #265 | 548 |
| 1930 | #150 | 1,369 |
| 1920 | #83 | 3,364 |
| 1910 | #46 | 2,123 |
| 1900 | #25 | 2,509 |
| 1890 | #17 | 2,058 |
| 1880 | #22 | 808 |
How popular is Mabel, counting every spelling?
Mabel is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #211 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #201 for Mabel on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,655 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mabel | 1,522 | #201 | 5,896 |
| Mable | 73 | #2,450 | 302 |
| Maybelle | 60 | #2,849 | 247 |
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 Mabel?
1,522 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Mabel (0.42 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Mabel 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 6 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Mabel.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Mabel?
About 21,000 people born in the US named Mabel are alive today, with a median age of 13; half are between 5 and 70. That makes Mabel mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Mabel by state
How common Mabel was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maine (4.9×), Alaska (4.3×), Montana (4.2×), New Hampshire (3.6×), Minnesota (3.4×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, New Jersey, Florida.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Mabel: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Mabel, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Mabel · Sibling names for Mabel
Questions about the name Mabel
What does Mabel mean?
Mabel means “lovable” (Latin, English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Mabel?
Mabel was the 201st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,522 babies. Its best year was 1891, when it ranked 15th; the most babies were born in 1915 (3,683). Over the last ten years it has moved up 377 places. More babies were named Mabel in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Is Mabel a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Mabel in the US.
Where is Mabel most popular?
In 2021–2025, Mabel was most common in Maine (3.56 per 1,000 girls), followed by Alaska and Montana.