Boys' name · peaked in 2025
Gael name popularity since 1925
49,742 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Gael (1.4% girls, 98.6% boys). Half of them were born in 2018 or earlier, so the typical Gael is about 8 years old in 2026. Gael peaked in 2025 as the #86 name for boys, and it ranked #86 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 49,742
- Named Gael, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #86
- for boys in 2025 (3,860 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 98.6% boys
- 673 girls · 49,069 boys
- Most popular in
- Nevada
- 4.03× its national share
Peak year is the year Gael made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Gael births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year by count was 2024. Measured as a share of all babies, Gael peaked in 2025.
- Fastest rise: Between 2002 and 2007, Gael became 4.4× more common, from 1 in 7,890 baby boys to 1 in 1,780.
- Steepest fall: Between 2005 and 2010, its share of baby boys fell by 35%, from 1 in 1,810 to 1 in 2,770.
Shaded on the chart. Both compare Gael's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Gael.
Decade by decade
Babies named Gael in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 0 | 5 | – |
| 1930s | 56 | 23 | Under 5 |
| 1940s | 179 | 30 | Under 5 |
| 1950s | 159 | 8 | Under 5 |
| 1960s | 78 | 0 | Under 5 |
| 1970s | 19 | 0 | Under 5 |
| 1980s | 0 | 6 | Under 5 |
| 1990s | 5 | 97 | #6,081 |
| 2000s | 52 | 6,911 | #297 |
| 2010s | 70 | 20,344 | #220 |
| 2020–25 | 55 | 21,645 | #86 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000. "Under 5" means fewer than 5 boys got the name.
Generation fingerprint
76.3% of babies named Gael from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Gen Alpha years (2013–2025). The full split by generation:
Where Gael is most popular
The index compares Gael's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Gael.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 4.03× | 703 |
| Texas | 3.23× | 12,387 |
| Arizona | 3.14× | 1,993 |
| California | 2.32× | 12,033 |
| New Mexico | 1.76× | 475 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 1999 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Gael's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Gael.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Gael (2025).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data