Abel is a male given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "breath" or "vapor." It is derived from the Hebrew word "hevel," which is also the name of the second son of Adam and Eve in the Bible. Abel was a shepherd, and his brother Cain became jealous of him because God favored Abel's offerings over his own. In his anger, Cain killed Abel, making it one of the first recorded incidents of violence in the Bible.
The name Abel has been used throughout history, with notable figures bearing this name including several saints and martyrs in the Catholic Church. One such figure is Saint Abel, a sixth-century bishop of Alexandreia who was martyred during the Persian persecution of Christians.
In literature and art, Abel has also been a popular choice for characters and subjects. For example, "Abel" is the title of a novel by French author Maurice Genevoix, which tells the story of a young soldier who dies in World War I. Additionally, the Belgian painter Jacob Jordaens created several works featuring Abel, including a notable painting called "The Death of Abel."
Today, Abel remains a popular given name around the world, with its meaning and biblical origins continuing to inspire parents in their choice of names for their children.
Based on the statistics provided, we can observe the trends of births with the name Abel over a span of nearly 140 years in the United States.
From 1880 to around 1950, the number of births named Abel fluctuated between single-digit and low double-digit numbers. The highest recorded birth count within this period was 217 in 1953. This period can be considered a time when the name Abel was relatively uncommon.
Starting from the late 1950s to around the mid-1960s, there was a gradual increase in the number of births with the name Abel. The highest recorded birth count during this period was 283 in 1970.
From the early 1970s onwards, there was a significant and consistent rise in the popularity of the name Abel. Between 1973 and 1983, the number of births with the name Abel more than doubled from 360 to 427. This trend continued into the late 1980s and early 1990s, reaching an all-time high of 1508 births in 2011.
However, after reaching its peak popularity in 2011, there has been a gradual decrease in the number of births named Abel. The most recent data from 2023 shows that there were 1648 births with the name Abel, which is lower than the previous year's count of 1763.
In conclusion, while the name Abel experienced periods of varying popularity over the years, it has generally seen an upward trend in its usage as a baby name in the United States. However, recent data suggests that its popularity may have peaked and could be trending downward once again.