Given name & surname · also Irish
Gale
“a foreigner”·“one who is cheerful”
Gale is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “a foreigner” and “one who is cheerful”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “a foreigner” and “one who is cheerful”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Irish and English naming traditions.
How it developed
In English use, Gale is used as a spelling variant of Gail.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1883. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Gale through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 32,343
- 12,437 boys · 19,906 girls
- Most popular year
- 1957
- 1,364 babies
- 2025
- 13
- #6,581 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −10%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 85% boys.
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 13 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 6,581 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 377 in 1947. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 22,462 as a first name in 2020; 14,988 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.
Gale’s family of names
Gale has an alternative spelling in Gail. Gale has a related form in Gail. Gale has a related form in Gail.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Gale
- Gale SondergaardAmerican actress (1899–1985)
- Gale Haroldactorborn 1969
- Gale Anne HurdAmerican film producer and screenwriter (born 1955)
- Gale NortonU.S. politician and former Secretary of the Interiorborn 1954
- Gale StormAmerican actress, singer (1922–2009)
- Gale RobbinsAmerican singer, and actress (1921-1980)
- Gale GordonAmerican actor (1906–1995)
- Gale HansenAmerican actorborn 1960
- Gale W. McGeeAmerican politician (1915-1992)
Characters named Gale: Gale Hawthorne (The Hunger Games), Gale Weathers (the Scream film series).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Gale, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Dale
“from the small valley” · “from the valley”
97% boys · 3% girls
Al
“one who counsels the elves” · “one who is noble and bright”
>99% boys
Gerard
“one who is mighty with a spear”
>99% boys
Howie
Howie is a surname from Middle English.
>99% boys
Gary
“one who wields a spear”
>99% boys
Guy
“a warrior; from the wood” · “a lively man”
>99% boys
Duane
“a dark or swarthy man”
>99% boys
Darrel
“one who is dearly loved”
>99% boys