Gail is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Gail means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Gail across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Gail has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Gail is a girl name of Hebrew origin meaning “my father rejoices”. A short form of Abigail.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 210,698 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 39 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 1,554 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 369 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 1,253 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Gail per year, United States (1881 to 2025). United States peaked in 1951 (10,066/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1975 (180/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1971 (31/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1997 (8/yr).
Gail has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1951, when it ranked #69 nationally (given to 10,066 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
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