Girls' name · since 1917
Gathel
51 babies named Gathel in U.S. Social Security records since 1917, with the highest year being 1919. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #34,783 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 51
- born since 1917
- 1920s
- peak decade
Gathel sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 51 recorded since 1917.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gathel has been recorded 51 times among girls since 1917, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1917 to 1940.
- #34,783 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 51 born since 1917
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gathel ranks #34,783 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 51 born since 1917, peaking in the 1920s.
- #34,783 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 51
- born since 1917
- 1920s
- peak decade
Gathel's 51 recorded births place it above 51.71% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by Kentucky.
Gathel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Gathel's full recorded timeline at 1925, 51% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 49% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1918, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1919 peak of 8 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Gathel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–1940
- Peak year (1919)
- 8
- Annual births at peak, across 24 years of records
Gathel by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (27 births, 53% of the file).
1920s was Gathel's strongest decade.
27 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 53% of all-time use.
Gathel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
19 births
- 1920s
1920s
27 births
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 27 births (53% of all-time use).
Gathel by state
Where Gathel concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 5 | 9.8% |
5 of 51 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gathel? ▼
Where does Gathel sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Gathel most popular? ▼
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What to do with Gathel's data
- Gathel's decade-level peak was the 1920s (27 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1940s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Kentucky records the most Gathels (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Gathel
Nearby Names Like Gathel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gathel
Compare Gathel side by side: Gathel vs Gatha Gathel vs Gatlynn Gathel vs Gatlyn
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Gathel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1919)
Similar record span (~23 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, 1917–1940 (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 Gathel 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.