The first name Abel
A boy’s name from Hebrew meaning “abel”, “breath”, “vapor”.
Pronounced /ˈeɪ.bl̩/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Abel means “abel”, “breath”, “vapor” in Hebrew.
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”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 261 boys were named Abel, making it the 195th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2023, with 345 births (#153).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Abel with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Abel at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,525 boys born in the United States were named Abel, the 231st most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2015, when 3,245 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Abel in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Abel in Catalan, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish too.
Famous people named Abel
58 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Abel TasmanDutch seafarer, explorer and merchant (1603–1659)
- Abel GanceFrench film director and producer, writer and actor (1889-1981)
- Abel AguilarColombian association football player, born 1985
- Abel FerraraAmerican film director, born 1951
- Abel BalboArgentine footballer and manager, born 1966
- Abel BonnardFrench writer, poet and politician, 1883–1968
- Abel BragaBrazilian footballer and manager, born 1952
- Abel MuzorewaFirst and only prime minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia (1979-80)
- Abel-François VillemainFrench politician and writer (1790-1870)
- Abel HermantFrench writer (1861-1950)
- Abel KiviatAmerican athletics competitor, 1892–1991
- Abel LaudonioArgentine actor and Olympic boxer, 1938–2014
More Hebrew boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Abel mean?
- Abel means “abel”, “breath”, “vapor” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name Abel?
- 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”).
- How popular is the name Abel?
- In 2025, 261 boys born in England and Wales were named Abel, ranking 195th. Its peak was 2023, with 345 births.
- Is Abel a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 66,198 US babies named Abel since 1880 were boys.
- When was Abel most popular?
- 2015 in the United States, when 3,245 babies were named Abel, its highest rank at 124th.
- How do you pronounce Abel?
- Abel is /ˈeɪ.bl̩/, 2 syllables.
- Is Abel also a surname?
- Yes. Abel is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.