How popular is the baby name Mabel in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Mabel.

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Popularity of the baby name Mabel


Posts that mention the name Mabel

What gave the baby name Kathlyn a boost in 1914?

The character Kathlyn from the film serial "The Adventures of Kathlyn" (1913)
Kathlyn from “The Adventures of Kathlyn

According to the U.S. baby name data, the name Kathlyn saw a steep rise in usage in the mid-1910s:

  • 1916: 86 baby girls named Kathlyn [rank: 731st]
  • 1915: 108 baby girls named Kathlyn [rank: 633rd]
  • 1914: 101 baby girls named Kathlyn [rank: 559th]
  • 1913: 28 baby girls named Kathlyn
  • 1912: 12 baby girls named Kathlyn

Why?

Because of fictional character Kathlyn Hare, protagonist of the story The Adventures of Kathlyn. She was a young American woman who traveled to India to rescue her father, a wild animal collector.

William N. Selig, founder of the Chicago-based motion picture company Selig Polyscope, had commissioned novelist Harold MacGrath to write the tale.

It was serialized in print and on the big screen concurrently, from the very end of 1913 until June of 1914, thanks to an innovative collaboration between Selig Polyscope and the Chicago Tribune newspaper.

"The Adventures of Kathlyn" by Harold MacGrath
The Adventures of Kathlyn

In the newspapers — the Tribune as well as dozens of affiliated papers across the country — a new chapter of The Adventures of Kathlyn was released every week, on Sunday, for 26 weeks.* The chapters were illustrated with films stills and sketches.

In the movie theaters, 13 installments of The Adventures of Kathlyn were released in two-week increments. Notably, at the end of each installment, Kathlyn was left “in some dangerous predicament designed to lure the audience back to see how she would extricate herself.” Cliffhangers — utilized for the very first time (by American filmmakers) in The Adventures of Kathlyn — went on to become a defining feature of motion picture serials.

The film’s heroine was portrayed by, and named after, Selig player Kathlyn Williams (born Kathleen Mabel Williams in Montana in 1879). Its exotic animals (leopards, lions, and elephants, and more) came from William Selig’s extensive animal collection.

Kathlyn Williams Perfume advertisement
Kathlyn Williams Perfume advertisement

The partnership between the newspaper and the motion picture company proved very successful. “Chicago Tribune Sunday circulation jumped almost 80,000, while the motion picture theaters showing Kathlyn were packed.”

As a result, Kathlyn Williams’ name and likeness were used to promote a variety of products (including a perfume, a face powder, a shirtwaist, a waltz, a cocktail, a cigar, and a “watch charm for single men”) throughout 1914, continuing to draw attention to the name Kathlyn even after the synchronized serializations had ended.

What are your thoughts on the name Kathlyn?

*The 26 chapters of The Adventures of Kathlyn were finally published as a standalone book in June of 1914.

Sources:

Images Clippings from Photoplay Magazine (Apr. 1914), Chicago Sunday Tribune (31 May 1914), and Photoplay Magazine (Sept. 1914)

Popular baby names in England and Wales (UK), 2024

Flag of the United Kingdom
Flag of the United Kingdom

Last year, the countries of England and Wales together welcomed 594,677 babies.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Olivia and Muhammad.

Here are England and Wales’ top 50 girl names and top 50 boy names of 2024:

Girl names

  1. Olivia, 2,761 baby girls
  2. Amelia, 2,448
  3. Lily, 2,185
  4. Isla, 2,056
  5. Ivy, 1,956
  6. Florence, 1,936
  7. Freya, 1,929
  8. Poppy, 1,888
  9. Ava, 1,774
  10. Elsie, 1,727
  11. Isabella, 1,708
  12. Sofia, 1,626
  13. Sophia, 1,610
  14. Mia, 1,609
  15. Maya, 1,592
  16. Bonnie, 1,583
  17. Phoebe, 1,549
  18. Daisy, 1,548
  19. Sienna, 1,537
  20. Evelyn, 1,512
  21. Willow, 1,481
  22. Harper, 1,461
  23. Charlotte, 1,418
  24. Rosie, 1,406
  25. Grace, 1,390
  26. Maeve, 1,265
  27. Millie, 1,255
  28. Margot, 1,243
  29. Evie, 1,231
  30. Arabella, 1,222
  31. Matilda, 1,220
  32. Hallie, 1,218
  33. Delilah, 1,180
  34. Emily, 1,170
  35. Aria, 1,154
  36. Penelope, 1,133
  37. Mabel, 1,113
  38. Lottie, 1,109
  39. Ella, 1,108
  40. Ada, 1,049
  41. Ruby, 1,020
  42. Violet, 1,010
  43. Aurora, 1,002
  44. Maisie, 992
  45. Emilia, 961
  46. Mila, 953
  47. Ayla, 922
  48. Luna, 908
  49. Alice, 896
  50. Sophie, 886

Boy names

  1. Muhammad, 5,721 baby boys
  2. Noah, 4,139
  3. Oliver, 3,492
  4. Arthur, 3,368
  5. Leo, 3,324
  6. George, 3,257
  7. Luca, 2,814
  8. Theodore, 2,761
  9. Oscar, 2,747
  10. Archie, 2,575
  11. Jude, 2,540
  12. Theo, 2,387
  13. Freddie, 2,369
  14. Henry, 2,360
  15. Arlo, 2,220
  16. Alfie, 2,020
  17. Charlie, 1,956
  18. Finley, 1,886
  19. Albie, 1,820
  20. Harry, 1,765
  21. Mohammed, 1,760
  22. Jack, 1,711
  23. Elijah, 1,661
  24. Rory, 1,588
  25. Lucas, 1,550
  26. Thomas, 1,543
  27. William, 1,517
  28. Louie, 1,516
  29. Teddy, 1,506
  30. Jacob, 1,484
  31. Edward, 1,461
  32. Roman, 1,454
  33. Reuben, 1,442
  34. Oakley, 1,432
  35. Adam, 1,410
  36. Alexander, 1,365
  37. Isaac, 1,360
  38. Ezra, 1,339
  39. Tommy, 1,324
  40. James, 1,252
  41. Rowan, 1,246
  42. Hudson, 1,216
  43. Reggie, 1,194
  44. Max, 1,140
  45. Sebastian, 1,116
  46. Hugo, 1,094
  47. Louis, 1,092
  48. Ethan, 1,086
  49. Ronnie, 1,059
  50. Joshua, 1,027

In the girls’ top 10, Poppy and Elsie replaced Willow and Isabella.

In the boys’ top 10, Archie replaced Henry.

At the other end of the spectrum I spotted Bryher (given to 5 baby girls), no doubt inspired by Bryher Island, located off the coast of Cornwall.

And, speaking of rare names, here’s a selection of those that were given to just three babies each in England and Wales (combined) in last year:

Rare girl namesRare boy names
Ascia, Barley, Clementina, Drashti, Euphemia, Fodhla, Gwenlli, Hyacinth, Isidora, Jindh, Kanak, Letizia, Migle, Ngoc, Olayinka, Pearly, Quinnie, Rennala, Sorella, Tirion, Unathi, Valora, Wallis, Xanthi, Yuet, ZhilaAelfred, Bramwell, Canelo, Doulton, Erling, Ferdia, Gursimran, Horace, Iorwerth, Jolyon, Kenshin, Llywelyn, Mawgan, Nikunj, Ozair, Penuel, Quintus, Rudolph, Shabsi, Teifion, Ugnius, Vishvam, Western, Xyleek, Ynyr, Zaroon

Some facts/thoughts about a few of the above…

  • Canelo is the Spanish word for “cinnamon.” (It’s also used as a nickname for a redheaded person.)
  • Erling is the first name of Norwegian soccer player Erling Haaland (who currently plays for Manchester City).
  • Gwenlli is a short form of the Welsh name Gwenllian.
  • Migle is based on the Lithuanian word migla, meaning “mist.”
  • Teifion may be based on the name of the River Teifi in Wales.
  • Xyleek, which debuted impressively in the U.S. data last year, may have been inspired by a TikTok video.
  • Ynyr is the Welsh form of the Latin name Honorius.

Finally, here are the 2024 rankings for Scotland and Northern Ireland — the other two countries in the United Kingdom — and the 2023 rankings for England and Wales, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of the United Kingdom (public domain)

Popular baby names in England and Wales (UK), 2023

Flag of the United Kingdom
Flag of the United Kingdom

Last year, the countries of England and Wales together welcomed 591,072 babies.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Olivia and Muhammad.

Here are England and Wales’ top 50 girl names and top 50 boy names of 2023:

Girl names

  1. Olivia, 2,906 baby girls
  2. Amelia, 2,663
  3. Isla, 2,337
  4. Lily, 2,290
  5. Freya, 2,086
  6. Ava, 2,050
  7. Ivy, 1,997
  8. Florence, 1,899
  9. Willow, 1,833
  10. Isabella, 1,795
  11. Poppy, 1,755
    • Poppy ranked third among baby girls born in November specifically, no doubt because of the association between poppies and Remembrance Day (Nov. 11).
  12. Sophia, 1,679
  13. Evelyn, 1,673
  14. Elsie, 1,662
  15. Sienna, 1,657
  16. Mia, 1,640
  17. Daisy, 1,585
  18. Grace, 1,541
  19. Sofia, 1,514
  20. Phoebe, 1,510
  21. Rosie, 1,508
  22. Harper, 1,466
  23. Charlotte, 1,373
  24. Evie, 1,350
  25. Millie, 1,349
  26. Bonnie, 1,346
  27. Ella, 1,307
  28. Emily, 1,280
  29. Maya, 1,255
  30. Matilda, 1,212
  31. Aria, 1,198
  32. Delilah, 1,194
  33. Penelope, 1,156
  34. Hallie, 1,154
  35. Mila, 1,127
  36. Maeve, 1,114
  37. Ada, 1,089
  38. Luna, 1,063
  39. Ruby, 1,059
  40. Mabel, 1,051
  41. Maisie, 1,039
  42. Violet, 1,034
  43. Arabella, 1,029
  44. Margot, 1,025
  45. Emilia, 1,017
  46. Isabelle, 984
  47. Esme, 982
  48. Lottie, 980
  49. Aurora, 964
  50. Alice, 955

Boy names

  1. Muhammad, 4,661 baby boys
  2. Noah, 4,382
  3. Oliver, 3,556
  4. George, 3,494
  5. Leo, 3,416
  6. Arthur, 3,387
  7. Luca, 3,195
  8. Theodore, 2,666
  9. Oscar, 2,632
  10. Henry, 2,490
  11. Theo, 2,489
  12. Freddie, 2,481
  13. Archie, 2,400
  14. Arlo, 2,253
  15. Jude, 2,177
  16. Alfie, 2,111
  17. Charlie, 2,010
  18. Jack, 1,953
  19. Thomas, 1,855
  20. Finley, 1,844
  21. Harry, 1,799
  22. Albie, 1,756
  23. Teddy, 1,687
  24. Jacob, 1,655
  25. Lucas, 1,644
  26. Tommy, 1,629
  27. Isaac, 1,611
  28. Mohammed, 1,601
  29. William, 1,544
  30. Edward, 1,501
  31. Elijah, 1,482
  32. Roman, 1,481
  33. Rory, 1,468
  34. Alexander, 1,456
  35. James, 1,430
  36. Louie, 1,421
  37. Reuben, 1,356
  38. Ezra, 1,345
  39. Oakley, 1,343
  40. Joshua, 1,339
  41. Adam, 1,326
  42. Sebastian, 1,313
  43. Hudson, 1,291
  44. Max, 1,274
  45. Louis, 1,236
  46. Ronnie, 1,222
  47. Ethan, 1,198
  48. Hugo, 1,174
  49. Harrison, 1,151
  50. Mason, 1,118

In the girls’ top 10, Willow replaced Mia.

In the boys’ top 10, Luca and Henry replaced Theo and Freddie.

New to the girls’ top 100 were Hazel, Lilah, Autumn, Nevaeh, and Raya.

New to the boys’ top 100 were Jax, Enzo, and Bodhi.

The number of hyphenated girl names increased significantly (from 12,332 to 19,143), while the number of hyphenated boy names decreased slightly (from 3,140 to 2,807).

And here’s a selection of uncommon names that were given to just three babies each in England and Wales (combined) in 2023:

Rare girl namesRare boy names
Alfia, Bluebella, Buddug, Coni, Dolcy, Ephelia, Fen, Glesni, Harasees, Indica, Jodh, Khulood, Larnie, Myrto, Nectaria, Omuwa, Pip, Qiraat, Reevie, Sorrel, Tegwen, Udaina, Vani, Waverly, Xanthea, Yvaine, ZoellaApollon, Banksy, Blaidd, Catalin, Dishan, Eifion, Fayzan, Gurvir, Haaland, Iverson, Jibriel, Kirtan, Lucho, Monaco, Nalan, Orwell, Prevail, Qusay, Ranbir, Sebbie, Tassilo, Ulrich, Vedh, Wildan, Xavian, Yamac, Zuko

Possible explanations/associations for several of the above:

  • Blaidd means “wolf” in Welsh. (It’s also the name of a half-wolf character in the 2022 video game Elden Ring.)
  • Buddug is based on the Welsh word budd, which means “benefit, profit.” It’s the Welsh equivalent of Boudicca (the name of the ancient British queen who led a revolt against the Romans).
  • Fen might refer to the type of wetland.
  • Glesni means “blueness” or “greenness” in Welsh.
  • Haaland is the surname of Norwegian soccer player Erling Haaland (who currently plays for Manchester City F.C.).

Here are the 2023 rankings for Scotland and Northern Ireland — the other two countries in the United Kingdom — and the 2022 rankings for England and Wales, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of the United Kingdom (public domain)

Girl names that end with an L-sound

Girl names that end with an L-sound

In the U.S., most of the names given to baby girls end with a vowel sound. And many of the remaining names end with an N-sound.

So, what about girl names that end with other sounds?

Below is a selection of girl names that end with an L-sound, regardless of last letter. The names are ordered by current popularity.

Abigail
From the Hebrew name Avigayil, which is made up of elements meaning “father” and “joy.” Here’s the popularity graph for Abigail.

Hazel
From the type of tree, or from the color (which is the hue of a ripe hazelnut). Here’s the popularity graph for Hazel.

Brielle
A short form of the French name Gabrielle. Here’s the popularity graph for Brielle.

Isabelle
Based on Elizabeth, which is derived from a Hebrew name made up of elements meaning “god” and “oath.” Here’s the popularity graph for Isabelle.

Noelle
A feminine form of the French name Noel, meaning “Christmas.” Here’s the popularity graph for Noelle.

Camille
A French feminine form of the Roman name Camillus, which is of unknown meaning. Here’s the popularity graph for Camille.

Ariel
A Hebrew name meaning “lion of god.” Here’s the popularity graph for Ariel.

Rachel
A Hebrew name meaning “ewe.” Here’s the popularity graph for Rachel.

Lucille
A French feminine form of the Roman name Lucius, meaning “light.” Here’s the popularity graph for Lucille.

Kendall
From the English surname, which is derived from the place name Kendal, meaning “Kent valley” (i.e., valley by the River Kent). Here’s the popularity graph for Kendall.

Mabel
A Medieval feminine form of the late Roman name Amabilis, meaning “lovable.” Here’s the popularity graph for Mabel.

Nicole
A French feminine form of Nicholas, which is derived from an Ancient Greek name made up of elements meaning “victory” and “people.” Here’s the popularity graph for Nicole.

Annabelle
A form of the Medieval feminine name Amabel (derived from the late Roman name Amabilis, meaning “lovable”), influenced by the name Anna and French word belle (meaning “beautiful”). Here’s the popularity graph for Annabelle.

Giselle
From a Germanic word meaning “hostage.” Here’s the popularity graph for Giselle.

Michelle
A French feminine form of Michael, which is derived from a Hebrew name meaning “who is like god?” Here’s the popularity graph for Michelle.

Elle
A diminutive of names that start with El-, or a short form of names that end with -elle. Here’s the popularity graph for Elle.

Miracle
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Miracle.

Danielle
A French feminine form of Daniel, which is derived from a Hebrew name meaning “god is my judge.” Here’s the popularity graph for Danielle.

Itzel
Might be based on the Mayan name Ixchel, which may mean “rainbow lady.” Here’s the popularity graph for Itzel.

Gabrielle
A French feminine form of Gabriel, which is derived from a Hebrew name meaning “man of god.” Here’s the popularity graph for Gabrielle.

Bristol
From the English place name, which means “bridge place.” Here’s the popularity graph for Bristol.

Angel
From an Ancient Greek word meaning “messenger.” Here’s the popularity graph for Angel.

Opal
From the type of gemstone. Here’s the popularity graph for Opal.

April
From the name of the month. Here’s the popularity graph for April.

Janelle
A diminutive of Jane. Here’s the popularity graph for Janelle.

Laurel
From the type of tree. Here’s the popularity graph for Laurel.

Estelle
An Old French name meaning “star.” Here’s the popularity graph for Estelle.

Pearl
From the type of gemstone (which is actually a nacreous concretion produced by mollusks). Here’s the popularity graph for Pearl.

Joelle
A feminine form of Joel, which is derived from a Hebrew name meaning “Yahweh is god.” Here’s the popularity graph for Joelle.

Adele
From a Germanic word meaning “noble.” Here’s the popularity graph for Adele.

Marisol
A short form of the Spanish name María Soledad (from the Marian title María de la Soledad). Here’s the popularity graph for Marisol.

Sol
A Spanish and Portuguese word meaning “sun.” Here’s the popularity graph for Sol.

Royal
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Royal.

Aubrielle
An elaboration of Aubrey. Here’s the popularity graph for Aubrielle.

Chanel
From the French fashion house Chanel, named for founder Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. Here’s the popularity graph for Chanel.

Belle
A short form of names that end with -belle. Here’s the popularity graph for Belle.

Raquel
The Spanish and Portuguese form of Rachel. Here’s the popularity graph for Raquel.

Crystal
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Crystal.

Jewel
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Jewel.

Abril
The Spanish form of the name April. Here’s the popularity graph for Abril.

Amal
An Arabic word meaning “hope.” Here’s the popularity graph for Amal.

Campbell
From the Scottish surname, which is derived from a nickname made up of elements meaning “crooked” and “mouth.” Here’s the popularity graph for Campbell.

Azul
The Spanish word for “blue.” Here’s the popularity graph for Azul.

Maple
From the type of tree. Here’s the popularity graph for Maple.

Xochitl
The Nahuatl word for “flower.” Here’s the popularity graph for Xochitl.

Maribel
A short form of the Spanish name María Isabel. Here’s the popularity graph for Maribel.

Yael
From a Hebrew name meaning “ibex” (a type of wild goat). Here’s the popularity graph for Yael.

Mirabel
From the Old French word mirable, meaning “admirable.” Here’s the popularity graph for Mirabel.

Sybil
From the Ancient Greek word sibylla, which referred to a type of prophetess. Here’s the popularity graph for Sybil.

Nell
A Medieval diminutive of names that start with El- or a similar sound. Here’s the popularity graph for Nell.


Less-common girl names that end with an L-sound include Coral, Liesl, Jill, Eshaal, Marvel, Ciel, Layal, and Kestrel.

Which of the above do you like most? What others can you think of?

P.S. Here are lists of girl names that end with D-, K-, M-, R-, S-, T-, V-, and Z-sounds.

Sources:

  • SSA
  • Wikipedia
  • Wiktionary
  • Behind the Name
  • Hanks, Patrick, Kate Hardcastle and Flavia Hodges. (Eds.) A Dictionary of First Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.