Mabel

Mabel is a shortened form of the medieval name Amabel. That name comes from the Latin amabilis, meaning lovable or dear. Mabel was a common English name in the Victorian era, and by the late twentieth century it was thought of as a grandmother’s name.

It was given to only a handful of Irish girls in the 1960s, then vanished from the lists for decades. It came back slowly in the 2000s, along with other short, old-fashioned names such as Ada, Edie and Hazel.

Its revival is still going. It peaked in 2025, with 52 babies, and reached number 94 in 2025, its best rank so far. It is rising in Northern Ireland too, where it was number 62 in 2025.