Fun Facts About the Name Abel
- More than 66 thousand babies named Abel: U.S. records list 66,169 babies given the name Abel from 1880 through 2025. Even 161 girls received the name Abel - about 1 girl for every 410 boys.
What Does the Name Abel Mean?
Abel is a masculine name of Hebrew origin. It comes from the Hebrew Hevel (הֶבֶל), a word meaning "breath" or "vapor." The same word runs through the book of Ecclesiastes, where it is usually rendered "vanity" - that is, something fleeting and without lasting substance. The name's literal sense is therefore "breath," not an abstract quality such as righteousness.
English uses the form that reached it through Greek and Latin rather than the Hebrew directly: the Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate both write the name Abel, and most European languages follow that spelling or a close variant. Explanations that read the name as a comment on the brevity of Abel's life in Genesis belong to the biblical story, not to the word's etymology.
Abel Name History & Origins
In the book of Genesis, Abel is the second son of Adam and Eve and a keeper of sheep. His offering was accepted by God while the offering of his older brother Cain was not, and Cain then killed him. Later biblical books treat him as a righteous man and a model of faith (Hebrews 11:4; 1 John 3:12), and Christian writers long described him as the first martyr.
Because the name belongs to that story, it was used as a personal name in Christian Europe, where biblical names were common. The Hebrew Hevel became Abel in Greek and Latin and then in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and Dutch; Hungarian uses Ábel. Later bearers include the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who sailed along parts of Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand in the 1640s, and the Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel, whose work on equations and analysis remains in use.
How Popular is the Name Abel?
Abel recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2015. Its best rank was #124 in 2015.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #14,959 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2024 | #11,077 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #15,189 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2022 | #12,245 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #8,458 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #9,152 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #14,336 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #10,151 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #13,161 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #12,168 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #17,309 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #14,188 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #15,798 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #13,445 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #10,194 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #8,763 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #11,801 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #11,326 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #10,913 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #6,707 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #9,111 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1980 | #10,394 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #9,013 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #9,069 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #231 | 1,525 | 0.0893% |
| 2024 | #220 | 1,627 | 0.0949% |
| 2023 | #220 | 1,653 | 0.0967% |
| 2022 | #215 | 1,766 | 0.1012% |
| 2021 | #195 | 1,954 | 0.1118% |
| 2020 | #181 | 2,130 | 0.1235% |
| 2019 | #158 | 2,467 | 0.1376% |
| 2018 | #146 | 2,682 | 0.1477% |
| 2017 | #145 | 2,712 | 0.1466% |
| 2016 | #137 | 3,044 | 0.1604% |
| 2015 | #124 | 3,244 | 0.1693% |
| 2014 | #164 | 2,572 | 0.1339% |
| 2013 | #180 | 2,238 | 0.1183% |
| 2012 | #192 | 1,951 | 0.1029% |
| 2011 | #238 | 1,508 | 0.0794% |
| 2010 | #293 | 1,127 | 0.0587% |
| 2009 | #330 | 964 | 0.0486% |
| 2008 | #361 | 864 | 0.0424% |
| 2007 | #343 | 940 | 0.0453% |
| 2006 | #338 | 924 | 0.0450% |
| 2005 | #347 | 855 | 0.0428% |
| 2004 | #356 | 791 | 0.0399% |
| 2003 | #360 | 755 | 0.0382% |
| 2002 | #353 | 775 | 0.0399% |
| 2001 | #362 | 733 | 0.0377% |
| 2000 | #352 | 763 | 0.0389% |
| 1999 | #367 | 711 | 0.0370% |
| 1998 | #378 | 668 | 0.0349% |
| 1997 | #352 | 718 | 0.0381% |
| 1996 | #387 | 606 | 0.0320% |
| 1995 | #340 | 717 | 0.0377% |
| 1994 | #399 | 584 | 0.0302% |
| 1993 | #377 | 620 | 0.0316% |
| 1992 | #370 | 631 | 0.0316% |
| 1991 | #370 | 623 | 0.0308% |
| 1990 | #382 | 606 | 0.0295% |
| 1989 | #400 | 541 | 0.0270% |
| 1988 | #384 | 514 | 0.0269% |
| 1987 | #407 | 458 | 0.0245% |
| 1986 | #381 | 482 | 0.0262% |
| 1985 | #388 | 461 | 0.0249% |
| 1984 | #400 | 427 | 0.0237% |
| 1983 | #391 | 426 | 0.0238% |
| 1982 | #371 | 468 | 0.0258% |
| 1981 | #365 | 479 | 0.0267% |
| 1980 | #366 | 474 | 0.0266% |
| 1979 | #389 | 428 | 0.0249% |
| 1978 | #400 | 371 | 0.0226% |
| 1977 | #424 | 347 | 0.0211% |
| 1976 | #390 | 395 | 0.0252% |
| 1975 | #396 | 382 | 0.0245% |
| 1974 | #435 | 330 | 0.0210% |
| 1973 | #412 | 360 | 0.0231% |
| 1972 | #443 | 321 | 0.0198% |
| 1971 | #465 | 310 | 0.0175% |
| 1970 | #480 | 283 | 0.0152% |
| 1969 | #458 | 277 | 0.0155% |
| 1968 | #465 | 267 | 0.0154% |
| 1967 | #476 | 251 | 0.0144% |
| 1966 | #480 | 256 | 0.0144% |
| 1965 | #463 | 282 | 0.0152% |
| 1964 | #478 | 274 | 0.0137% |
| 1963 | #484 | 272 | 0.0134% |
| 1962 | #494 | 258 | 0.0125% |
| 1961 | #477 | 281 | 0.0132% |
| 1960 | #505 | 247 | 0.0116% |
| 1959 | #524 | 226 | 0.0106% |
| 1958 | #500 | 241 | 0.0114% |
| 1957 | #504 | 236 | 0.0109% |
| 1956 | #515 | 215 | 0.0102% |
| 1955 | #504 | 215 | 0.0104% |
| 1954 | #484 | 223 | 0.0109% |
| 1953 | #473 | 217 | 0.0110% |
| 1952 | #549 | 162 | 0.0083% |
| 1951 | #500 | 183 | 0.0097% |
| 1950 | #514 | 170 | 0.0095% |
| 1949 | #525 | 161 | 0.0091% |
| 1948 | #540 | 151 | 0.0086% |
| 1947 | #558 | 146 | 0.0080% |
| 1946 | #592 | 117 | 0.0072% |
| 1945 | #567 | 113 | 0.0084% |
| 1944 | #559 | 118 | 0.0087% |
| 1943 | #668 | 92 | 0.0064% |
| 1942 | #615 | 105 | 0.0076% |
| 1941 | #535 | 121 | 0.0099% |
| 1940 | #589 | 101 | 0.0087% |
| 1939 | #594 | 95 | 0.0086% |
| 1938 | #640 | 87 | 0.0078% |
| 1937 | #609 | 91 | 0.0085% |
| 1936 | #685 | 75 | 0.0072% |
| 1935 | #605 | 92 | 0.0088% |
| 1934 | #615 | 93 | 0.0090% |
| 1933 | #591 | 96 | 0.0097% |
| 1932 | #607 | 95 | 0.0091% |
| 1931 | #616 | 93 | 0.0089% |
| 1930 | #540 | 122 | 0.0111% |
| 1929 | #620 | 96 | 0.0089% |
| 1928 | #685 | 85 | 0.0077% |
| 1927 | #732 | 79 | 0.0070% |
| 1926 | #622 | 101 | 0.0091% |
| 1925 | #710 | 83 | 0.0074% |
| 1924 | #608 | 110 | 0.0097% |
| 1923 | #769 | 73 | 0.0067% |
| 1922 | #678 | 91 | 0.0084% |
| 1921 | #715 | 84 | 0.0076% |
| 1920 | #732 | 79 | 0.0074% |
| 1919 | #638 | 91 | 0.0093% |
| 1918 | #733 | 76 | 0.0075% |
| 1917 | #640 | 86 | 0.0093% |
| 1916 | #781 | 62 | 0.0070% |
| 1915 | #750 | 64 | 0.0075% |
| 1914 | #734 | 51 | 0.0078% |
| 1913 | #641 | 48 | 0.0094% |
| 1912 | #668 | 40 | 0.0093% |
| 1911 | #548 | 30 | 0.0133% |
| 1910 | #981 | 11 | 0.0057% |
| 1909 | #679 | 16 | 0.0098% |
| 1908 | #685 | 15 | 0.0097% |
| 1907 | #866 | 10 | 0.0068% |
| 1906 | #752 | 11 | 0.0083% |
| 1905 | #1,091 | 6 | 0.0045% |
| 1904 | #760 | 10 | 0.0078% |
| 1903 | #595 | 14 | 0.0117% |
| 1902 | #687 | 11 | 0.0090% |
| 1901 | #559 | 13 | 0.0122% |
| 1900 | #649 | 15 | 0.0100% |
| 1899 | #502 | 15 | 0.0141% |
| 1898 | #701 | 10 | 0.0082% |
| 1897 | #615 | 12 | 0.0106% |
| 1896 | #534 | 15 | 0.0125% |
| 1895 | #978 | 6 | 0.0051% |
| 1894 | #521 | 15 | 0.0130% |
| 1893 | #538 | 13 | 0.0116% |
| 1892 | #792 | 8 | 0.0066% |
| 1891 | #597 | 10 | 0.0099% |
| 1890 | #511 | 14 | 0.0126% |
| 1889 | #673 | 9 | 0.0081% |
| 1888 | #755 | 8 | 0.0066% |
| 1887 | #544 | 11 | 0.0108% |
| 1886 | #451 | 16 | 0.0144% |
| 1885 | #837 | 6 | 0.0056% |
| 1884 | #504 | 14 | 0.0122% |
| 1883 | #527 | 12 | 0.0115% |
| 1882 | #611 | 10 | 0.0088% |
| 1881 | #503 | 12 | 0.0119% |
| 1880 | #640 | 9 | 0.0081% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Abel Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Abel's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Abel's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.