Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1951

Gail

Meaning A female given name, a diminutive of Abigail Gender Girl · 4% boys Rank 2025 #8,535

A female given name, a diminutive of Abigail.

Rank 2025
#8,535
among girls · ↓1,792 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
12
named Gail
How common
1 in 133,939
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1951
10,066 babies
All-time total
210,698
#200 all-time among girls
First recorded
1881
in Social Security records

Gail popularity over time

210,698 babies have been named Gail since 1881, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
1.883.755.637.518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 101 26 127 13 – #528
1890s 287 88 375 38 +195% #478
1900s 291 123 414 41 +10% #565
1910s 1,216 1,035 2,251 225 +444% #436
1920s 1,746 1,716 3,462 346 +54% #483
1930s 15,854 1,867 17,721 1,772 +412% #73
1940s 53,140 2,017 55,157 5,516 +211% #49
1950s 85,618 1,307 86,925 8,693 +58% #36
1960s 32,877 472 33,349 3,335 -62% #90
1970s 7,138 236 7,374 737 -78% #222
1980s 2,171 65 2,236 224 -70% #593
1990s 752 – 752 75 -66% #1,282
2000s 284 – 284 28 -62% #3,285
2010s 169 – 169 17 -40% #5,543
2020s (to 2025) 102 – 102 17 +1% #5,818

The story of Gail

Gail is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #8,535 in 2025 with 12 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1881, 210,698 American babies have been named Gail. Its peak came in 1951, when 10,066 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Gail stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Gail?

The median living Gail is about 71 years old; half are between 65 and 76. An estimated 153 thousand people named Gail are alive in the United States today.

median 71 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Gail year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 12 #8,535 – –
2024 17 #6,743 – –
2023 21 #5,818 – –
2022 13 #8,206 – –
2021 20 #6,025 – –
2020 19 #6,158 – –
2019 15 #7,480 – –
2018 18 #6,621 – –
2017 13 #8,454 – –
2016 20 #6,259 – –
2015 15 #7,753 – –
2014 13 #8,635 – –
2013 24 #5,543 – –
2012 22 #5,976 – –
2011 14 #8,341 – –
2010 15 #8,030 – –
2009 19 #6,900 – –
2008 19 #6,894 – –
2007 23 #5,958 – –
2006 21 #6,207 – –
2005 24 #5,328 – –
2004 46 #3,285 – –
2003 37 #3,757 – –
2002 30 #4,214 – –
2001 28 #4,358 – –
2000 37 #3,543 – –
1995 54 #2,400 – –
1990 127 #1,282 – –
1985 194 #838 – –
1980 303 #605 6 #5,767
1975 560 #370 26 #1,852
1970 1,424 #222 24 #1,817
1965 2,859 #134 38 #1,245
1960 5,428 #90 58 #1,015
1955 8,972 #42 115 #686
1950 8,350 #42 173 #510
1945 4,832 #52 167 #459
1940 3,621 #65 190 #424
1935 1,800 #127 194 #393
1930 198 #476 151 #484
1925 163 #563 179 #449
1920 181 #525 171 #466
1915 135 #552 143 #459
1910 33 #743 25 #572
1905 14 #1,030 8 #955
1900 28 #680 9 #933
1895 32 #524 13 #586
1890 20 #588 – –
1885 17 #528 – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Gail

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Gail Goodrich Gail Goodrich American basketball player (born 1943) Contemporary
  2. 2 Gail Russell Gail Russell American actress (1924–1961) Contemporary
  3. 3 Gail Devers Gail Devers American athlete (born 1966) Contemporary
  4. 4 Gail O'Grady Gail O'Grady American actress (born 1963) Contemporary
  5. 5 Gail Patrick Gail Patrick American actress and producer (1911–1980) Contemporary
  6. 6 Gail Kim Gail Kim Canadian-American professional wrestler (born 1977) Contemporary
  7. 7 Gail Emms Gail Emms English badminton player (born 1977) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Gail, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Gail?

The median living Gail is about 71 years old. Half of all living Gails are between 65 and 76 years old.

How many people named Gail are alive today?

An estimated 153 thousand people named Gail are alive in the United States, based on 210,698 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Gail mean?

A female given name, a diminutive of Abigail.

How popular is the name Gail in 2025?

Gail ranked #8,535 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 12 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Gail?

210,698 babies have been named Gail in the United States since 1881, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Gail most popular?

Gail peaked in 1951, when 10,066 newborns received the name.

Is Gail a boy or girl name?

Gail is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 96% of babies with the name.

Is the name Gail rising or falling?

Gail has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Gail?

Well-known people named Gail include Gail Goodrich (basketball player), Gail Russell (actor), Gail Devers (athlete).

Names like Gail

Names that sound and feel close to Gail: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Gail with similar names → More names starting with G →