Noel
French noel, Christmas, from Latin natalis dies, birth day. Medieval English parents gave it to children born in the Christmas season.
Noel in 2025
Noel was given to 792 babies in the United States in 2025 — 635 boys and 157 girls, making it the 809th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 4,186 babies born.
The history of Noel
Noel reached its highest point in 2014, when 1,107 babies were given the name, ranking 616th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 523rd, in 1938.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 67,380 babies have been named Noel. Half of them were born before 1985, which places the name's centre of gravity with Millennials.
Noel by decade
| Decade | Babies named Noel | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 95 | 968 |
| 1890s | 155 | 1,006 |
| 1900s | 307 | 863 |
| 1910s | 1,481 | 743 |
| 1920s | 2,299 | 709 |
| 1930s | 3,762 | 523 |
| 1940s | 4,456 | 561 |
| 1950s | 4,551 | 729 |
| 1960s | 5,952 | 546 |
| 1970s | 6,942 | 568 |
| 1980s | 7,267 | 587 |
| 1990s | 7,658 | 629 |
| 2000s | 7,688 | 692 |
| 2010s | 9,479 | 616 |
| 2020s | 5,288 | 684 |
Where Noel is heading
Noel has fallen 26% over the past decade, from 1,074 babies in 2015 to 792 in 2025.
Names like Noel
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Noel.