The name Gael is a girl's name of Welsh origin meaning "wild".

Welsh Names

Welsh Names for Girls

4 Letter Girl Names

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UK Girl Names

Names Ending in L for Girls

Names That Mean Wild

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Now that the midcentury sound-alike name Gail for girls is sailing out to sea, Gael is becoming an increasingly popular name for boys -- and could make the gender switch in the opposite direction again.

Gael

Welsh

The name Gael peaked for girls at #1672 in 1945. Gael is also used for boys, ranking #86 in 2025.

Abigail

Gail

The name Gael is a boy's name of Welsh, Breton origin meaning "Gaelic".

Breton Names

Welsh Names for Boys

Breton Names for Boys

4 Letter Boy Names

UK Boy Names

Names Ending in L for Boys

Names That Mean Possibly

Names That Mean Gaelic

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Names that Peaked in 2021

Boy Dog Names That Start With G

Dog Names That Start With G

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Names that Peaked in 2023

Breton Names that Start With G

This cross-cultural name, found in Wales, Brittany, and Spain, is a surprise star in the U.S in recent years, largely thanks to actor Gael Garcia Bernal. Also written as Gaël, it's a popular choice across Spain, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, and France, and the US. 
 
Given to 3885 boys in the US in a recent year, when it ranked in the Top 100, it's a separate name from Gale (word name) and Gail (diminutive of Abigail), however, it may sometimes be used as an alternative spelling for the latter. 
 
Despite the difference in spelling, the character Gale Hawthorne in the popular book and film series The Hunger Games may also have helped make this a stylish choice for American boys. It surged up the charts following the 2012 release of the first movie instalment, climbing from #410 to #146 in the ranks.

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The name Gael is currently ranked #86 in U.S. births. and peaked for boys at #86 in 2025. The name is most popular in GAEL, GAEL, and GAEL. Gael is occasionally used for girls in 2025.

Year	US rank	Births	Per million
2014	—	0	0
2015	—	0	0
2016	—	0	0
2017	—	0	0
2018	—	0	0
2019	—	0	0
2020	—	0	0
2021	—	0	0
2022	—	0	0
2023	—	0	0
2024	—	0	0
2025	—	0	0

Gael

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