Given name & surname
Abel
“the life force; breath”
Abel is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “the life force; breath.”
Original Hebrewהבל
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “the life force; breath.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
In German usage, Abel is a short form of Apollonia. In Dutch usage, Abel developed from Ἅβελ.
The story
The name has a place in biblical naming traditions.
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Abel appears in Genesis 4:2. It is mentioned 4 times in the New Testament.
- Genesis 4:2
- 1 Samuel 6:18
- 2 Samuel 20:14
- 2 Samuel 20:18
From biblical name research
Abel through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 66,198
- 66,037 boys · 161 girls
- Most popular year
- 2015
- 3,255 babies
- 2025
- 1,530
- #231 for boys · #14,959 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −34%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,525 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 231 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 34.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 3,245 in 2015. It also appeared in 5 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (246). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 63,705 as a first name in 2020; 17,596 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Abel’s family of names
In German usage, Abel is a short form of Apollonia. In Dutch usage, Abel developed from the Ancient Greek form Ἅβελ. In Dutch usage, Abel has a related form in Abe.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Abel has relatives in 24 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
38 related names in 24 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 22
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Abevariant · Dutch
- Apolloniafull form · German
- Ablevariant
- Avelvariant · Romanian
- Salmonvariant · French
- Opelvariant · German
- Abellvariant
- Abelavariant · German, Maltese
Show 14 moreShow fewer
- Abeltjepet form · Dutch
- Aapelvariant · Finnish
- Abelindiminutive · Occitan, French
- Abbsshort form · English
- Abeauvariant · French
- Abelitodiminutive · Spanish
- Abeleinvariant · German
- Abilovariant · German
- Albrechtvariant · German
- Avelevariant
- Abelsonvariant · English
- Abelevariant · Italian
- Habelvariant · Icelandic
- Abēlusvariant · Icelandic
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 25
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Abel
- Abel TasmanDutch seafarer, explorer and merchant (1603–1659)
- The WeekndCanadian singer and songwriter (born 1990)
- Abel GanceFrench film director and producer, writer and actor (1889-1981)
- Abel HernándezUruguayan association football playerborn 1990
- Abel, King of DenmarkKing of Denmark1218–1252
- Abel AguilarColombian association football playerborn 1985
- Abel PachecoPresident of Costa Rica (2002-2006)born 1933
- Abel AzconaSpanish writer and performance artist (born 1988)
- Abel XavierPortuguese-Mozambican association football playerborn 1972
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Abel, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Axel
“source of life; small oak” · “axe”
>99% boys
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“the angel of light”
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Eli
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Emmanuel
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Gabriel
“man of God” · “a hero of God”
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Ezekiel
“God strengthens” · “strengthened by God”
>99% boys
Tobias
“The Lord is good”
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Gideon
“one who cuts down” · “a mighty warrior; one who fells trees”
>99% boys