Isaac.  Elijah.  Jonah.  Choosing son’s name from the Good Book has been all the rage in recent years.  So why have so few parents have rediscovered this one?

Thanks to Rocking Fetal for suggesting today’s Name of the Day: Abel.

You don’t even have to look far into the Bible before you find the tale of Abel and his big brother Cain – it’s right there in Genesis.  It’s not exactly a warm and fuzzy tale.  Abel is the world’s first murder victim, at the hand of his jealous sib.

The name’s origins and meaning are open to debate.  ”Breath” from the Hebrew hevel is most often cited; some scholars argue that the word signifies something that is hard to capture or express.  Others suggest that the old Assyrian ablu, son, is the name’s source.  And some argue that the sad story of Cain and Abel is actually borrowed from a Sumerian tale about the conflict between shepherds (represented by Abel) and farmers (represented by Cain).  As it happens, there is an Arabic word that may have meant herdsman back in the day – ibil – and could’ve influenced Abel’s name.

Abel shares his sound with the word able, from the Latin habere, to hold.  Over the years, it has evolved to mean skilled, capable, qualified.  It’s a positive association, even if it’s not etymologically linked.

The name has been bestowed steadily throughout history, and was a favorite of the Puritans.  Saint Abel lived in the 700s and served as Bishop of Reims; King Abel of Denmark reigned in the 13th century; Abel Tasman explored the world in the 1640s and lent his surname to Tasmania.  While it was never as common as John or James, it never fell out of use completely.

In fact, it is not quite accurate to class Abel as undiscovered in the US.  He’s appeared in the Top 1000 every year save one, when he briefly slipped out of the 1905 rankings.  In the early 20th century, the name was fairly obscure, ranking in the 700s.  It’s gained steadily since over the past few decades and today stands at a respectable #344.  That’s just shy of 1,000 newborn baby Abels last year – about as many as Ezra, Grady, Silas, Declan or Cash.

Abel may have stayed in use at least partially because it is also a surname.  Some Abels are descendants of the Danish king.  The name pops up in Germany and Norway, too.  You’ll find an Abel crater on the moon, named for German astrophysicist Tom Abel.  The equivalent of a Nobel prize in mathematics is the Abel Prize, bestowed annually by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and named in honor of celebrated 19th century Norwegian mathematician Niels Abel.

While some may find Abel’s status as victim hard to overlook, there’s far more to the name than the Biblical reference.  We think it sounds smart and unexpected.  Of course, it may also read as an overtly religious choice to some.

Just don’t name his brother Cain.