NameChart

Abel

Boy name

Abel has been given to 66,198 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 2015 and currently ranks #231 for boys (2025).

Meaning & origin /ˈeɪ.bl̩/

From Middle English Abel, from Old English Ābel, from Latin Abel, from Ancient Greek Ἅβελ (Hábel), from Biblical Hebrew הֶבֶל (Héḇel, “Abel”), possibly from the homonymous word הֶבֶל (heḇel, “breath, vapor; vanity”) or from Akkadian 𒌉𒍑 (ablu, “son”).

Origin: Hebrew

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

08111.623k2.434k3.245k 18801900192019401960198020002020 Girls Boys
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

66,198

Peak year

2015 (3,255 babies)

Rank in 2025

#231 for boys

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▼ -53%

Gender split

0% girls / 100% boys

Famous people named Abel

Abel Tasman

Dutch seafarer, explorer and merchant (1603–1659)

The Weeknd

Canadian singer and songwriter (born 1990)

Abel Gance

French film director and producer, writer and actor (1889-1981)

Abel Hernández

Uruguayan association football player

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Abel.

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