Gael
Two sources: a Breton and French name, probably shortened from Judicael, and the English word Gael for a speaker of Gaelic, from Irish Gaedheal.
Gael in 2025
Gael was given to 3,866 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 152nd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 858 babies born.
The history of Gael
Gael reached its highest point in 2024, when 3,879 babies were given the name, ranking 148th that year.
Across the 107 years of records since 1919, 49,752 babies have been named Gael. Half of them were born before 2018, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Alpha.
Gael has switched sex over its history: it went mostly to girls in its early decades, and goes mostly to boys today.
Gael by decade
| Decade | Babies named Gael | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 8,518 |
| 1920s | 10 | 8,539 |
| 1930s | 79 | 2,896 |
| 1940s | 209 | 2,399 |
| 1950s | 167 | 3,298 |
| 1960s | 78 | 5,613 |
| 1970s | 19 | 10,008 |
| 1980s | 6 | 16,980 |
| 1990s | 102 | 7,362 |
| 2000s | 6,963 | 579 |
| 2010s | 20,414 | 237 |
| 2020s | 21,700 | 148 |
Where Gael is heading
Gael has risen 116% over the past decade, from 1,790 babies in 2015 to 3,866 in 2025.
Names like Gael
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Gael.