Gail
A female given name, a diminutive of Abigail.
Every Gail since 1881 — 210,698 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
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.
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
- Gail Goodrich Basketball player · b. 1943
- Gail Russell Actor · 1924–1961
- Gail Devers Athlete · b. 1966
- Gail O'Grady Actor · b. 1963
- Gail Patrick Actor · 1911–1980
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
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).