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Abel

OriginHebrew
Meaning"breath"
GenderBoy & girl
US rank · boys#231

2025 SSA

US rank · girls#14959

2025 SSA

About Abel

Abel, the name of Adam and Eve's unfortunate younger son, compensates with positive connotations: capable, competent, ready and willing.

Abel has literary connections to the novels of Dickens and Trollope, and is also one of the few well-known Old Testament names not plagued by overuse. Having been chosen for their second son by Amy Pohler and Will Arnett could give it a real popularity bounce.

Abel's namesakes include two movie directors, Abel Gance and Abel Ferrara, and a pop singer, Abel Tesfaye, more commonly known as The Weeknd.

Abel is also given to girls, where it ranks #14959 in the US.

Pronounced AY-bul.

As of October 2026, Abel ranked #231 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #124 in 2015, Nameberry popularity #315.

World rankings

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Abel on lists

Famous Abels

  • AbelBoy

    Biblical son of Adam and Eve

  • Saint AbelBoy

    Bishop of Reims, France

  • AbelBoy

    King of Denmark

  • Abel Janszoon TasmanBoy

    Dutch discoverer of Tasmania and New Zealand

  • Abel Parker UpshurBoy

    15th U.S. Secretary of State

  • Abęl Makkonen Tesfaye aka The WeekndBoy

    Canadian singer,songwriter

  • Abel GanceBoy

    French film director

  • Abel FerraraBoy

    American film director

  • Abel PachecoBoy

    former President of Costa Rica

  • Andrzej Popławski (Abel)Boy

    Polish archbishop of Lublin and Chełm

  • Adam (Abel) KorzeniowskiBoy

    Polish composer

  • Abel TalamántezBoy

    American Latin singer

  • Abel WolmanBoy

    American inventor and scientist

  • Abel SmithBoy

    birth name of Ned Rocknroll, husband of English actress Kate Winslet

  • Abel James Arnett (b. 2010)Boy

    son of actors Amy Poehler and Will Arnett

Abel in pop culture

  • AbelBoy

    biblical son of Adam and Eve

  • Stone of AbelBoy

    in Ancient Israel (1 Samuel 6:18)

  • Abel TellerBoy

    character on TV's "Sons of Anarchy"

  • Abel NightroadBoy

    character in anime "Trinity Blood"

  • Abel RosnovskiBoy

    character in Jeffrey Archer's "Kane and Abel"

  • Abel GideonBoy

    character on TV's "Hannibal"

  • Abel BodeyBoy

    character in "Sims" series

  • Abel MagwitchBoy

    character in Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations"

  • AbelBoy

    character in the arcade game "Street Fighter IV"

  • AbelBoy

    character in DC Comics House of Mystery series

  • AbelBoy

    character in the Battle Arena Toshinden video game series

  • AbelBoy

    main character in W.H. Hudson's "Green Mansions"

  • AbelBoy

    character in comic strip "Motley's Crew"

  • AbelBoy

    character in Shawn Levy's "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian"

  • AbelBoy

    character in Claudia Gray's science fiction novel, Defy the Stars

  • Abel MoralesBoy

    character in film "A Most Violent Year"

Variations & nicknames

Abel in blog posts

Community discussions

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