The baby name Mabel was a white hot favorite in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After a long hibernation, Mabel is back.
Thanks to Nessa for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME MABEL MEAN?
Parents like their children’s names to have great meanings, and Mabel delivers. It comes from the Latin amabilis, meaning lovable.
You might also hear the meaning “my beauty,” but that’s pure folk etymology. In French, ma belle translates to my beauty or my pretty. It’s not the source of the name – though it doesn’t hurt, either, and Mae or Belle would make a great nickname.
Two French saints answered to Amabilis – one male, one female. The fifth century male priest also answered to Amable; the seventh century nun is often called just Mable.
Over the years, the name shortened to Amabel and then dropped the A entirely. It appears in lists of Anglo-Norman names, like this one. Mabile and Mabilia were in use, too.
CHARLOTTE M. YONGE’S MABEL
Many medieval names fell out of use as time passed, including Amabel in all forms.
They were just waiting for revival, and many of them were rediscovered.
19th century author Charlotte M. Yonge penned an astonishing 160 works during her lifetime, most of them novels and many of them romances. Yonge isn’t a household name today, but in her era she outpaced even Charles Dickens. 1853’s The Heir of Redclyffe would become her first bestseller.
The novel focused on two sisters, Amabel and Laura. Amabel answered to Amy. There’s also a minor character called Mabel.
The name’s revival seems to trace back to this successful story.
MOTHERS ALWAYS BRING EXTRA LOVE
90s sitcom Mad About You starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as newlyweds Paul and Jamie Buchman. Towards the end of the series’ seven-season run, they became parents to a daughter. Their banter included trading baby name lists.
After considering mainstream favorites like Julia and Lily, the couple finally settled on an acronym name: Mothers Always Bring Extra Love.
When the couple announced her name, their friends and family are more than a little surprised at the old-school choice.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME MABEL?
The US Social Security Administration reports data on given names reaching back to the year 1880.
From 1880 through 1922, Mabel ranks in the Top 100 baby girl names each year.
It fell steadily in the 1930s and 40s, exiting the Top 1000 during the 1960s.
When Mad About You introduced Little Miss Mothers Always Bring Extra Love in 1997? The baby name Mabel was given to a mere 42girls that year.
It marked an all-time low.
While the television call-out didn’t return Mabel to the most popular names, it did help shift Mabel’s direction. My 1999, 90 girls were named Mabel.
Not until 2013 did Mabel return to the US Top 1000. It climbed steadily, year after year.
As of 2023, it stands at a very respectable #278.
What helped fuel Mabel’s comeback?
21st CENTURY REVIVAL
Besides the television character, Mabel never really want away. There’s also:
- Silent movie star Mabel Normand.
- A princess in the Dutch royal family, Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau.
- The comic strip matriarch from the long-running Motley’s Crew.
- A dog from BBC children’s show Blue Peter.
None of those references get credit for Mabel’s revival. Instead, it’s likely down to sound:
- We love the long A sound, and so many Mae names.
- In an age of Isabelle and Hazel, Mabel fits right in.
Time helps, too. Names from the 1880s have had plenty of decades to peak, drop, hibernate, and make a comeback.
Celebrity parents embraced Mabel, including Chad Lowe, Bruce Willis, and Russell Brand.
But ultimately, it’s television again that gets credit for driving this name up the charts:
- In 2012, Disney XD gave us successful animated mystery series Gravity Falls, focused on siblings Dipper and Mabel Pines.
- Mad About You enjoyed a brief 2019 reboot, featuring Mabel as a rising college freshman.
- In 2021, the world met Mabel Mora, of Only Murders in the Building.
It was steady, positive encouragement for parents looking for the perfect name. Familiar, bright and strong, easy to spell and pronounce. There are so many reasons to love the baby name Mabel.
What do you think of Mabel?
This post was published on December 19, 2008. It was substantially revised on November 10, 2016 and February 18, 2025.
There was a woman named Mabel Stark (1889-1968) who trained tigers, which definitely changes my impression of the name!
Ps. Please could Christabel be name of the day if she hasn’t already been?!
Absolutely! Christabel is 1/28.
When I think of all the -bel/belle names I never consider Mabel as being one of their number, I think it’s because of the pronounciation of the last syllable which Shannon has already pointed out. One thing I would say is that this ending does give Mabel the advantage of feeling more well rounded than some of the other bel/belle names. As they can have a tendancy to feel like two names sandwiched together: take Annabel, Christabel or Rosabel for example.
Personally, I adore Mabel’s sweet, cutesy, hip, vintage feel and think she could be set for a comeback. She reminds me of big flouncy English rose floral prints; yet she’s no frilly princess and can definately hold her own. Just listen to the lyrics of the Fratelli’s latest hit single Mistress Mabel if you’re in any doubt: “Takes a liberty if you let her, yes she’s old but she should know better”. This broadcast of the name, coupled with the popularity of all the other -bel/belle names and the current trend for old fashioned names means that Mabel could very well be the next logical step on from Ruby and Lily, Isabel and Milly…
My original reaction to Mabel was similar to JNE’s: old lady. But you’re beginning to sway me. Changing the spelling (Mabelle, Maybelle, May Belle) to suggest the French sounding emphasis on the last syllable gives it a much more attractive air to my ear. It rings brightly like a bell as opposed to the dull thud you get from MAY-bull. Too much fluttering of the lips. Belle is lyrical. You can sing it better.
When people say my name it sounds like a bell ringing. Most people just have more energy when they say it.
This name just doesn’t have much appeal to me.
Amabel is a little better, but I much prefer Mirabel and Isabel.
Mabel still has an old lady image for me and it’s mostly the pronunciation of the last syllable that does it – with the unstressed e it’s not bell. Hazel I dislike a little less. Ethel, Myrtle – no. Like Rachel though. Amabel, though.. that is pretty and unusual and I have only seen it in books – by British authors. I have never heard anyone say it though. Is is AM-uh-bel (like it) or AM-uh-bul? (don’t like). Annabel… that is one of my top 10 names.
I assume Amabel would be said like Annabel, but with an “m” sound instead of “n.” So AM uh bel, I think. The drawback is that she’d be forever correcting those who call her Annabel – which is probably how Amabel went extinct in the first place. 🙂
I quite adore Mabel! I had the same problem with Isabel vs. Annabel, and now Mabel is involved too! I wouldn’t nickname her, Mabel’s too perfect, and I think that Mabelle/Maybelle/Maebel/Maebelle is too darn insulting to the perfection that is Mabel.
I’d love to use her, but Isabel’s my #6.
Amabel’s lovely, but I prefer Annabel, because it mixes the old and the new, while still being a classic revival.
I just find Mabel so sweet and charming. I’ve never met one, but I’d love to. Amabel is beautiful, but I prefer Maybelle, sounds quite southern. My favorite of all though is definitely simple Mabel. And “Princess Mabel” sounds so cute, seems like there should be a children’s picture book about her adventures or something. It’s something i would use if i didn’t have so many other’s on my list that I love more. But I wish more people would use it, she’d fit in so nicely with Sophia, Olivia, Oscar, etc.
I like Mabel! I prefer the orginal Amabel, personally but Mabel is beautiful all by herself. I agree she sounds current and I would be thrilled to meet a little Mabel. Maybe I’ll be lucky and there’ll be one in Josie’s kindergarten class next fall (already, I’m a touch flipped about that) ! Wasn’t there a Maybelle in “Bridge to Terabithia”? My bad, she was May Belle (what a cutie, too bad she’s a Bailee, Maybelle would have been darling on her, for real!)
Mabel’s not one that shows up in my top 20 (Where Maud reigns) but I do admire her and will happily encourage anyone thinking about Mabel. With engaging May as a possible nickname as well as the more popular Bel- sound, I think she’d be a real winner of a choice. Stand out, absolutely fantastic Mabel!
Just can’t get past Mabel being an old lady. It’s right there with Myrtle (and I do love Crape Myrtle trees, but I couldn’t name my child Myrtle). Amabel, sure, fine, okay… but maybe that’s because I say that “AM – uh – bell” and Mable is “MAY – bull”. Bell sounds pretty to my ear, bull does not. I do like Hazel – it’s a color, it’s got a nice zingy z in the middle, it doesn’t have the bull ending (zull is OK). There’s a character, Maybe, that was on Arrested Development. I’d rather call my baby Maybe than Mabel, but perhaps “Maybe” could be a nickname for Mabel… at least it’s amusing/comical. Sorry, just can’t go for Mabel.
This is one where my age shows, too. I just can’t get past the commercials of my childhood – Auntie Mabel, Auntie Mabel, put some (brand name) on the table! It’s not terrible, but it’s hard to get on board.
(Full disclosure – it’s also took me years to get behind Olivia on little girls, too, so foibles? I have ’em.)