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The short answer
Mabel is a feminine English name that developed in the Middle Ages as a form of Amabilis, a Late Latin name related to "lovable". Behind the Name notes that Mabel and the related spelling Amabel were common in medieval England but became rare after the 15th century, before being revived in the 19th century, possibly helped by a minor character named Mabel in C. M. Yonge's 1853 novel The Heir of Redclyffe. Pronounced MAY-bəl, it ranked #201 for girls in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name describes Mabel as a "medieval form of Amabilis", noting that this spelling and the related Amabel were common in the Middle Ages but grew rare after the 15th century. The entry credits its 19th-century revival in part to C. M. Yonge's 1853 novel The Heir of Redclyffe, which featured minor characters named Mabel and Amabel. The Amabilis root itself was not found in the local Behind the Name cache, so its Latin gloss is not verified in this pass.
Editorial confidence: established
Popularity
Mabel ranked #201 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, according to the Social Security Administration.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #201 | ssa-2025 |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: Mae, May
Variants: Mabelle, Mable, Maybell, Maybelle, Mabella
Related names: Annabel, Annabelle, Anabel
What the name feels like
Mabel sits with Edith and Mildred in the current wave of once-unfashionable Victorian and Edwardian names being revived for their warmth and quaintness, a second act very much like the one Behind the Name records for the 19th century.
Style tags: vintage revival, Victorian, English, grandma-chic
Editorial interpretation: This style framing is editorial opinion. Behind the Name documents the medieval-to-19th-century revival pattern as fact; comparisons to today's Edith/Mildred trend are a subjective grouping.
If you like this name
Editorial picks for readers drawn to Mabel's vintage revival status or its medieval English roots.
Similar by popularity
Similar by style
- Annabel
- Maisie
- Bea
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Mabel mean?
Mabel developed as a medieval form of Amabilis, a name related to being lovable, though the exact Latin gloss for Amabilis was not independently verified in this pass.
Is Mabel an old-fashioned name?
It is genuinely old: Behind the Name records it as common in medieval England before falling out of use after the 15th century and being revived in the 19th century.
What are nicknames for Mabel?
Mae and May are the short forms Behind the Name lists for Mabel.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Mabel — supports etymology, history, variants, pronunciation.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
