Abel

“Breath or vapor; some sources say 'son'” — Hebrew origin

Boy's name · #231 in the US (2025) · 2010s

Abel reached #124 in 2015 and has eased to #231 since. About 66,000 boys have carried it since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Around the world: #21 in Hungary (2025) · #40 in Netherlands (2025) · #98 in France (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 48 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Abels

Abel Tasman — Dutch seafarer, explorer and merchant (1603–1659)
Abel Gance — French film director and producer, writer and actor (1889-1981)
Abel Hernández — Uruguayan association football player
Abel of Denmark — King of Denmark
Abel Aguilar — Colombian association football player

In stories & tradition

Abel — Genesis 4
Abel Magwitch — Great Expectations
Abel Martín — heteronym

What Abels become

Among 932 notable people named Abel:

Political leaders appear 1.53× more often than among typical names — e.g. Abel of Denmark, King of Denmark.

Similar names: Emmanuel · Abraham · Ismael · Israel · Miguel · Adan

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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