Mabel
Girl name · #201 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Mabel? In official American birth records, Mabel has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Mabel ranks #201 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 1,522 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #578, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,183 girls born in 2025 was named Mabel.
Babies named Mabel per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Mabel first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 808 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1915, when 3,683 girls were named Mabel — good for #62 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Mabel against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Mabel in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Mabel is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Mabel is most common
Geography matters for names, and Mabel is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Mabel is most common in ME (5.1 per 1,000), MT (3.9 per 1,000), NH (3.7 per 1,000), UT (3.3 per 1,000), OR (3.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Mabel is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Mabel
Statistically, parents drawn to Mabel tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Opal, Vera, Elsie, Ada, and Hattie.
OpalVeraElsieAdaHattieMavisRosieLucille
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Mabel | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,522 | #201 |
| 2024 | 1,385 | #222 |
| 2023 | 1,131 | #278 |
| 2022 | 1,027 | #310 |
| 2021 | 831 | #375 |
| 2020 | 718 | #428 |
| 2019 | 712 | #440 |
| 2018 | 727 | #439 |
| 2017 | 703 | #451 |
| 2016 | 605 | #515 |
| 2015 | 529 | #578 |
| 2014 | 427 | #668 |
| 2013 | 393 | #711 |
| 2012 | 241 | #1044 |
| 2011 | 196 | #1224 |
| 2010 | 177 | #1328 |
| 2009 | 147 | #1538 |
| 2008 | 139 | #1631 |
| 2007 | 127 | #1713 |
| 2006 | 116 | #1788 |
| 2005 | 106 | #1838 |
| 2004 | 90 | #2030 |
| 2003 | 97 | #1885 |
| 2002 | 93 | #1897 |
| 2001 | 83 | #2035 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Mabel?
In official American birth records, the name Mabel first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 808 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Mabel a popular girl name?
Mabel ranked #201 among girls in 2025 with 1,522 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #578.
When was the name Mabel most popular?
Mabel peaked in 1915, when 3,683 American girls received the name (ranked #62 that year). Since 1915 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Mabel?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,183 newborn American girls was named Mabel. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.