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Gail as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Gail

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The baby name Gail is a Female name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /ɡeɪl/.

Gail is English in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: English
Pronunciation: /ɡeɪl/

What is the meaning of the name Gail ?

The baby name Gail is a Female name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /ɡeɪl/.

Gail is English in Origin.

Gail is an English short form of Abigail, from Hebrew Avigayil (avi + gil), meaning “my father is joy” or “father’s joy.” Used as a familiar name in the 18th-19th centuries, it gained traction as an independent given name in the early 20th century and peaked for girls across the English-speaking world in the 1940s-60s, especially in the United States. It also saw occasional unisex use through overlap with Gale.

Variants and related forms include Gayle (popular mid-century), Gale (unisex; also an English word and surname), and the root names Abigail (Spanish: Abigaíl; French: Abigael) and Avigail (Hebrew). Short forms tied to the Abigail family include Abby, Abi, and Abbie. Gail retains a brisk, friendly profile while carrying the biblical heritage of Abigail, noted for wisdom and tact in 1 Samuel 25. Its core meaning centers on joy and paternal delight.

Gail has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Gail

Gail Kim Actor · Born 1977 · Canada Gail Kim-Irvine is best known for her career as a professional wrestler, especially in TNA Wrestling and WWE. Born on February 20, 1977, she is a Canadian-American retired wrestler who became one of the most recognizable women in modern pro wrestling. Gail O'Grady Actor · Born 1963 · United States Gail O'Grady is an American actress and producer best known for her television work, especially as Donna Abandando on NYPD Blue and Helen Pryor on American Dreams. She has been a familiar face on TV since the 1990s. Gail Russell Actor · Born 1924 · United States Gail Russell was an American film and television actress, best known for films like The Uninvited, Angel and the Badman, and Moonrise. Born Betty Gale Russell, she became a popular screen presence in the 1940s and 1950s.
Gail Patrick Actor · Born 1911 · United States Gail Patrick was an American actress and television producer best known for playing glamorous villains and “the other woman” in classic Hollywood films. She appeared in more than 60 movies between 1932 and 1948, with some of her most notable films including My Man Godfrey, Stage Door, and My Favorite Wife. Gain Actor · Born 1987 · South Korea Gain or GAIN can refer to several different things, rather than one specific person. It may describe an increase or amplification, and it can also be used as a name or title in various contexts. Gail Fisher Actor · Born 1935 · United States Gail Fisher was an American actress best known for playing Peggy Fair on the TV detective series Mannix from 1968 to 1975. She was one of the first Black women to have substantive roles on American television, and her work on Mannix earned her two Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy, making her the first African-American woman to win those honors.

Celebrity babies named Gail

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Gail Thorpe McShane Jim Thorpe basketball player
Gail Lumet Buckley Lena Horne television actor

Gail – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2004 #1 741
BW 0 #19 1 960
MT 0 #41 3 1,767
PR 0 #55 1 1,497
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
CN 0 #84 3 3,857
PH 0 #85 12 5,607
JM 0 #93 1 3,714
AF Girls 0 #94 1 2,402
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
QA 0 #103 4 7,011
TW 0 #103 1 4,523
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
OM 0 #119 3 6,215
CY Girls 0 #120 6 3,755
KW 0 #120 2 5,216
MT Girls 0 #132 20 3,773
BW Girls 0 #137 12 4,216
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
CR 0 #149 10 5,526
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
AE 0 #167 11 10,220
PR Girls 0 #167 1 3,171
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
NA Girls 0 #202 23 7,146
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
AO Girls 0 #216 2 4,575
PS 0 #223 4 5,692
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
JM Girls 0 #226 34 7,507
ZA 0 #227 225 14,421
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
BD 0 #240 2 5,992
GR Girls 0 #245 5 6,293
ZA Girls 0 #251 2,514 25,928
SG 0 #254 16 11,010
MO Girls 0 #258 6 7,056
IL 0 #264 11 6,291
TW Girls 0 #267 10 8,139
NG 0 #272 1 5,926
Canada Girls 2022 #276 5 2,867
QA Girls 0 #291 26 15,378
PH Girls 0 #299 93 13,098
SA 0 #307 6 10,560
DK Girls 0 #329 1 7,429
GH Girls 0 #330 8 6,973
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
JO Girls 0 #338 2 7,570
HK 0 #350 8 8,483
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
MY 0 #351 4 12,352
CN Girls 0 #352 8 8,829
GH Boys 0 #359 3 8,138
MU Girls 0 #359 4 8,539
OM Girls 0 #384 13 15,987
JO Boys 0 #389 1 7,057
France Boys 2004 #393 4 2,538
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
PH Boys 0 #402 7 11,440
BD Girls 0 #405 2 8,413
BO 0 #405 4 6,868
France Girls 2015 #411 3 3,223
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
CL 0 #434 1 6,867
MX 0 #442 4 8,339
PT Girls 0 #465 7 7,952
SD Boys 0 #466 1 10,523
CR Girls 0 #474 59 11,342
KW Girls 0 #482 34 19,177
PS Girls 0 #500 24 10,981
AE Girls 0 #504 50 20,968
CO 0 #509 2 7,768
CR Boys 0 #509 2 10,188
PA Girls 0 #516 3 9,861
IQ Girls 0 #520 6 11,303
RU Girls 0 #520 4 11,913
RU Boys 0 #525 2 12,621
SG Girls 0 #526 61 18,916
UY Girls 0 #536 1 6,731
GT Girls 0 #541 1 7,500
BH 0 #544 10 17,937
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
LY 0 #558 2 12,703
CM Girls 0 #559 2 11,671
CM Boys 0 #575 1 12,054
IL Girls 0 #581 37 11,648
HK Girls 0 #592 24 16,104
BO Girls 0 #595 17 9,488
BO Boys 0 #619 4 9,244
AR Girls 0 #629 2 8,289
IN Girls 0 #651 4 13,121
LB 0 #690 1 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #696 2 13,071
IT 0 #699 16 4,183
CL Boys 0 #700 1 13,390
SG Boys 0 #739 1 17,960
QA Boys 0 #742 2 18,093
NG Girls 0 #766 21 15,093
KW Boys 0 #802 5 18,755
CL Girls 0 #834 18 14,098
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
SA Girls 0 #884 52 25,931
NL Girls 0 #888 68 5,933
United States Girls 2024 #900 17 8,487
OM Boys 0 #917 2 17,948
PE Boys 0 #921 6 14,506
EG Boys 0 #923 3 15,035
PE Girls 0 #929 15 14,861
Spain Girls 0 #938 46 5,561
EG Girls 0 #950 10 14,742
MY Girls 0 #973 22 24,821
NG Boys 0 #995 7 16,906
MX Boys 0 #1,026 8 16,355
AE Boys 0 #1,137 7 22,615
CO Girls 0 #1,146 7 16,140
ZA Boys 0 #1,147 32 25,619
MX Girls 0 #1,156 28 17,781
MY Boys 0 #1,179 4 25,439
MA 0 #1,196 4 20,986
TR 0 #1,199 13 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,392 55 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,600 15 28,008

Gail is popular in 67 countries — most recent births per country:

Scotland, United Kingdom
Ireland
United States
France
Canada

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Gail

Gail is predominantly a girl's name.
Gail is a one syllable name, pronounced /ɡeɪl/.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Gayle, Gale, Gaila, Gaile and Gayl.
Across languages, Gail has these equivalents: Abigail (original full form), Abby (diminutive of Abigail).
Yes, very popular — Gail ranked #1 in Ireland in 2004, and appears in official birth registries across 5 countries.
Gail ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2004).
Gail's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2004 to #1 in 2004 in Ireland.
Yes — 7 notable people named Gail are in our database, including Gail Kim (Actor), Gail O'Grady (Actor), Gail Russell (Actor).
Yes — at least 2 celebrity couples have chosen Gail for their child, including Jim Thorpe.