Abel sits comfortably in the UK charts at #195 in 2025 — recognisable but not overwhelming. Your child may occasionally share their name.
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UK Rank 2025
#195
US Rank #231
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About the Name Abel
Abel is steadily gaining in popularity, up 44 places over the past five years. Its best recorded rank was #153 in 2023, and it currently sits at #166. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Abel is fairly common in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Abel in their class.
In the US it sits at #220 — notably more popular in the UK than across the Atlantic.
⭐ Famous People Named Abel
Zachary Abel — Zachary Burr Abel is an American actor.
Abel Muzorewa — Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa, also commonly referred to as Bishop Muzorewa, was a Zimbabwean bishop and politician who served as the first and only Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia from the Internal Settlement to the Lancaster House Agreement in 1979.
Abel Yalew — Abel Yalew Tilahun is an Ethiopian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Egyptian Premier League club ZED and the Ethiopia national team.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Abel
Unlikely. With around 261 UK babies named Abel per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Abel in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Abel has been fairly steady, ranked #195 in 2025 against #210 in 2020. Its best recorded position was #153 in 2023.
Abel is more popular in the UK (#166) than in the US (#220). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Abel include: Zachary Abel, Abel Yalew and Abel Balbo. Short summaries for each appear below.
Abel appears in the US top 500 at #220 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
261
UK babies named Abel (2025)
~0.0
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.2
In a school of 600
↑ 15 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Abel
Almost certainly the only Abel in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Abel
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa, also commonly referred to as Bishop Muzorewa, was a Zimbabwean bishop and politician who served as the first and only Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia from the Internal Settlement to the Lancaster House Agreement in 1979.
Abel Janszoon Tasman was a Dutch seafarer and explorer, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the Dutch East India Company (VOC).