UK name, mostly boys
Abel
A masculine given name derived from Hebrew meaning "breath" or "son".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Abel is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Abel popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #166, with 302 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 345 births.
This profile covers 3,399 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 88% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 3,688 living people in the UK are called Abel. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Abel ranked #166 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 302 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2023, when 345 boys were registered as Abel.
- • Abel ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #202 in 2024.
- • About 3,688 living people in the UK are estimated to have Abel as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 99.9% of Abel registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#166
2024
Births in 2024
302
Latest year
Peak year
2023
345 births
Estimated living
3,688
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Abel
In England and Wales birth records, Abel has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 99.9% of registrations are for boys and 0.1% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Abel registered for boys
- Ranked #166 in 2024
- 302 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (345 births)
Abel registered for girls
- Ranked #5,581 in 2021
- 3 girls registered in 2021
- Peak: 2021 (3 births)
Meaning
What does Abel mean?
The name Abel has its origins in the Hebrew language. It is derived from the Hebrew word "hevel" which means "breath" or "vapor". The name is believed to have originated in the Middle East region during ancient times.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Abel is found in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible, where it is the name given to the second son of Adam and Eve. According to the biblical account, Abel was a shepherd who was killed by his brother Cain out of jealousy.
In the Christian tradition, Abel is regarded as the first martyr and a symbol of innocence and righteousness. The name has been popular among Christians throughout history, particularly in Europe and the Americas.
Some notable individuals named Abel throughout history include:
1. Abel the Righteous (circa 4000 BC), the biblical figure and the second son of Adam and Eve. 2. Abel Remusat (1788-1832), a French sinologist and pioneering scholar of Chinese language and culture. 3. Abel Gance (1889-1981), a prominent French film director, actor, and producer, best known for his epic silent film "Napoléon". 4. Abel Sanchez (1899-1971), a Mexican boxer and former world bantamweight champion. 5. Abel Muzorewa (1925-2010), a Zimbabwean politician and former Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
The name Abel has been used across various cultures and languages, with variations in spelling and pronunciation. In English, it is often spelled as "Abel" or "Abell". In Spanish, it is spelled "Abel" or "Abél". In French, it is spelled "Abel" or "Abèle". In German, it is spelled "Abel" or "Abell".
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Abel over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Abel in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Abel, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 302 births in 2024, compared with 345 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Abel by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Abel was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #176 | 1,490 | 5 |
| 2010s | #357 | 1,575 | 10 |
| 2000s | #835 | 285 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1138 | 49 | 4 |
Geography
Where Abel is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Abel. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Abel ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #202 in 2024.
Across the UK
Abel in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#352 in 2024
15 years of NRS records, 184 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#202 in 2024
15 years of NISRA records, 126 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Abel
-
Abel Lee
association football player
English footballer (1884-1929)
1884-1929
-
Abel J. Jones
academic
British writer (1878-1949)
1878-1949
-
Abel Hughes
association football coach; association football player
British association football player (1869-?)
1869-1946
-
Abel Hayes
association football coach; association football player
British association football player (1866-?)
1866-
-
Abel Ashworth
rugby union player; rugby league player
English rugby union footballer
1864-1938
-
Abel Henry Smith
politician
British politician (1862–1930)
1862-1930
-
Abel Davies
physician; rugby union player
Welsh rugby union player
1861-1914
-
Abel Chapman
writer; naturalist
British conservationist and writer (1851–1929)
1851-1929
Related
Names similar to Abel
- Alfie 86,546
- Alexander 85,525
- Adam 71,855
- Archie 59,965
- Arthur 43,586
- Aaron 36,366
- Alex 32,729
- Andrew 20,169
- Arlo 19,061
- Aidan 16,776
- Albie 16,017
- Albert 15,809
FAQ
Abel: questions and answers
How popular is the name Abel in the UK right now?
In 2024, Abel was ranked #166 for boys in England and Wales, with 302 births registered.
When was Abel most popular?
The peak year on record was 2023, with 345 babies registered as Abel in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Abel?
A masculine given name derived from Hebrew meaning "breath" or "son".
How many people are called Abel in the UK?
A total of 3,399 babies have been registered as Abel across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 184 more in Scotland and 126 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Abel most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Abel ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #202 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.