Gale is a unisex name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Gale means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Gale across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Gale has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Gale is a unisex name of Old English origin meaning “cheerful, merry”. A short form of Abigail, also used as a variant of the surname Gale.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 32,343 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 3 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 3 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 Gale per year, United States (1883 to 2025). United States peaked in 1957 (1,364/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1980 (3/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1976 (3/yr).
Gale has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1957, when it ranked #426 nationally (given to 1,364 babies that year).
Kyle · Gail · Kaylee · Cole · Gael · Gayle · Callie · Cali
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