Boys' name · since 1919
Gael
Gael has 49,079 recorded births since 1919 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2024 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #518 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #86 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 49,079
- born since 1919
- 2020s
- peak decade
Gael currently ranks #86 among boys' names in America, with 49,079 babies recorded since 1919.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gael has been recorded 49,079 times among boys since 1919, currently ranked #86 nationally and more common than 99.4% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2020s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1919 to 2025.
- #518 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #86 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 49,079 born since 1919
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gael ranks #518 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #86 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 49,079 born since 1919, peaking in the 2020s.
- #518 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #86 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 49,079
- born since 1919
- 2020s
- peak decade
Gael's 49,079 recorded births place it above 98.86% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
42 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Gael compares
49,079 Top 4% higher than 96% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Gael's all-time total is 133x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gael | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 49,079 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 3,872 | 34 | 22,252 |
Gael's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Gael's SSA record in two at 2003 and the more recent half accounts for 99% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 1%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1919, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2024 peak of 3,872, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Gael popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1919–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 3,872
- Annual births at peak, across 107 years of records
Gael popularity over time - girls
673 total births recorded since 1935 (Gael as girls' name)
Gael by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (21,645 births, 44% of the file).
2020s was Gael's strongest decade.
21,645 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 44% of all-time use.
Gael births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 10
1920s
10 births
- 1930s 23
1930s
23 births
- 1940s 30
1940s
30 births
- 1950s 8
1950s
8 births
- 1980s 6
1980s
6 births
- 1990s 97
1990s
97 births
- 2000s 6,911
2000s
6,911 births
- 2010s
2010s
20,344 births
- 2020s
2020s
21,645 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 21,645 births (44% of all-time use).
How Gael compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Gael's total volume
Gael by state
Where Gael concentrates geographically, total births since 1919
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 12,387 | 25.2% |
| #2 | California | | 12,033 | 24.5% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 2,501 | 5.1% |
| #4 | New York | | 2,168 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Arizona | | 1,993 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Florida | | 1,891 | 3.9% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 1,329 | 2.7% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 1,184 | 2.4% |
12,387 of 49,079 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 42 reporting states.
Gael appears in 42 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gael? ▼
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When was Gael most popular? ▼
Where is Gael most popular? ▼
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What names are similar to Gael? ▼
What to do with Gael's data
- Texas records the most Gaels (12,387 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Gael
Nearby Names Like Gael
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gael
Compare Gael side by side: Gael vs Gaetano Gael vs Gaelen Gael vs Gaelan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gael
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Gael: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2024)
Similar record span (~106 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1919–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Gael draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.