Gail
Gail is a boy's name of English origin.
Meaning
My father is joy.
Origin and history
Gail originated as a short form of Abigail, derived from Hebrew meaning 'my father is joy'. While historically used for both sexes in the United States, it became much more common for females in the mid-20th century. For males, usage peaked in the early-to-mid 1900s and is now extremely rare.
Popularity in the United States
8,952 babies in the United States have been named Gail since 1880. It ranks #1277 all-time.
States where it is most popular
- OH (13.3 %)
- IL (10.2 %)
- IA (9.5 %)
- KS (8.2 %)
- IN (6.2 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 26 |
| 1890-1900 | 88 |
| 1900-1910 | 123 |
| 1910-1920 | 1,035 |
| 1920-1930 | 1,716 |
| 1930-1940 | 1,867 |
| 1940-1950 | 2,017 |
| 1950-1960 | 1,307 |
| 1960-1970 | 472 |
| 1970-1980 | 236 |
| 1980-1990 | 65 |
| 1990-2000 | 0 |
| 2000-2010 | 0 |
| 2010-2019 | 0 |
| 2020-2029 | 0 |
Famous people named Gail
- Gail Goodrich: Basketball Player, Sports Executive
- Gail Sayers: Football Player
Fun facts
- Although predominantly feminine today, Gail was regularly given to boys in the United States throughout the first half of the 20th century.
- It developed initially as a shortened spoken form of the classical Hebrew name Abigail.