Gale

Last seen for girls in 2023 at #15,194 · #6,446 for boys in 2025, 13 births
Given to girls 61.5% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1957 · 1,210 births
Debut · girls
5 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
19,906
since 1893

Gale over time

girlsboys

Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201935peak #244, 1957peak #321, 1939girlsboys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#6,44613
2024#6,46913
2023#15,1945#5,92715
2022#10,8636
2021
2020#9,5547
2019#12,4487#9,7567
2018#6,03614
2017#15,9025#7,54610
2016#8,8168
2015#8,7448
2014#8,1309
2013#14,5826#8,7898
2012
2011#14,8246
2010
2009
2008#12,5535
2007#9,7887
2006
2005#11,8348#11,4725
2004
2003#8,6437
2002#10,6675
2001
2000#15,0315#7,4168
1999#12,6886
1998#10,1228
1997#8,1106
1996#13,5185#7,9716
1995#10,5147
1994#13,4305#5,45210
1993#4,44713
1992#10,4797#6,1288
1991#8,5889#5,09610
1990#7,30311#5,8238
1989#8,0379#4,01713
1988#7,6919#4,7869
1987#5,31214#4,5739
1986#4,34718#5,3327
1985#3,85221#3,80511
1984#6,29110#2,95615
1983#3,24225#3,63011
1982#2,64535#3,28213
1981#4,00519#1,99627
1980#2,86631#2,53619
1979#3,07827#2,46519
1978#2,57233#2,47318
1977#2,42336#2,27020
1976#2,09941#2,05423
1975#1,68956#1,63031
1974#1,49965#1,19848
1973#1,38871#1,18648
1972#1,14196#1,36438
1971#1,17697#1,02663
1970#979128#1,13253
1969#826155#92068
1968#791160#1,00654
1967#669206#89365
1966#621234#89565
1965#640234#82081
1964#581290#79989
1963#538324#79591
1962#539329#78694
1961#446478#769101
1960#393587#691129
1959#319852#730110
1958#2721,052#660136
1957#2441,210#619154
1956#2551,077#543193
1955#2601,030#517199
1954#2591,015#453254
1953#264947#438263
1952#283820#381324
1951#275814#375329
1950#301662#372333
1949#319591#380314
1948#314601#361349
1947#271796#352377
1946#310566#370305
1945#321447#351287
1944#353382#354283
1943#348425#351302
1942#369365#351298
1941#365338#341287
1940#323389#323307
1939#392288#321291
1938#552152#324292
1937#556147#322284
1936#597122#344250
1935#587122#351244
1934#75678#336262
1933#1,10240#372213
1932#1,09742#372224
1931#1,75020#435169
1930#1,43429#418199
1929#1,41929#456168
1928#1,27136#445181
1927#1,27838#380241
1926#1,26238#436192
1925#1,53529#433190
1924#1,64327#384243
1923#1,42832#390232
1922#1,64626#461180
1921#1,20541#422205
1920#1,31235#457176
1919#1,60425#494145
1918#1,75422#474155
1917#1,77320#521123
1916#1,44526#537114
1915#1,52323#550104
1914#1,60317#52089
1913#2,3318#56459
1912#1,9819#64942
1911#1,45011#66722
1910#1,9357#92812
1909#1,6078#55822
1908#1,4399#58519
1907#66415
1906
1905#1,5387#74111
1904#1,0646
1903#65612
1902#7949
1901#63711
1900#1,23110#83610
1899
1898#1,0026
1897#1,3856#58413
1896#1,5835
1895#9786
1894#59412
1893#1,4375#61511
1892
1891
1890#9945
1889
1888#1,0315
1887#8196
1886
1885
1884
1883#8925
1882
1881
1880
First appearance
1893

The first year at least five girls were named Gale! It came in at #1,437, and was given to 5 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1893–1896, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.

Where Gale is popular in 1935

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedMNIllinois: #375 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 4,584 girlsILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedWIMichigan: #369 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 4,750 girlsMINew York: #474 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 8,280 girlsNYMassachusetts: #294 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 4,617 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedIAIndiana: #354 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,549 girlsINOhio: #506 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 9,153 girlsOHPennsylvania: #361 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 5,112 girlsPANew Jersey: #328 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,694 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #502 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 5,820 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedNEMissouri: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedMOKentucky: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: #337 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,070 girlsWVVirginia: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedLAMississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedALGeorgia: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedHITexas: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Gale, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Massachusetts#294 · 1 in 4,617
  2. New Jersey#328 · 1 in 4,694
  3. West Virginia#337 · 1 in 3,070
  4. Indiana#354 · 1 in 4,549
  5. Pennsylvania#361 · 1 in 5,112

Best ever in a state: #114 in Rhode Island, 1940.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Massachusetts#29461 in 4,617
New Jersey#32851 in 4,694
West Virginia#33761 in 3,070
Indiana#35451 in 4,549
Pennsylvania#361141 in 5,112
Michigan#36981 in 4,750
Illinois#375111 in 4,584
New York#474101 in 8,280
California#50261 in 5,820
Ohio#50651 in 9,153
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
North Carolina
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Gale
Momentum · girls
Faded out
  • Not published in 2025; last seen 2023
  • Biggest jump: 346 spots in 1934 (#1,102#756)
  • Biggest drop: 197 spots in 1971 (#979#1,176)
Rise & fade · girls
64 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1893
  • Peaked 1957 at #244 (1,210 births)
  • Births halved by 1960, 3 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 37 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 37 yrs · run 1934–1970
Share of babies · girls
1 in 1,690
  • Highest: 1 in 1,690 girls born in 1957 were named Gale (0.06%)
  • Latest: 1 in 320,916 girls born in 2023 (0.00%)
Era · girls
The 1950s
  • 47.6% of all girls named Gale (9,479) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Flipped in 2020
  • Mostly girls until 2019, mostly boys since
all girlsall boys
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1890s16#1,385 (1897)#1,468
1900s34#1,231 (1900)#1,454
1910s168#1,445 (1916)#1,740
1920s331#1,205 (1921)#1,400
1930s1,040#392 (1939)#882
1940s4,900#271 (1947)#329
1950s9,479#244 (1957)#273
1960s2,997#393 (1960)#604
1970s650#979 (1970)#1,804
1980s191#2,645 (1982)#4,829
1990s58#7,303 (1990)#10,830
2000s13#11,834 (2005)#13,433
2010s24#12,448 (2019)#14,439
2020s5#15,194 (2023)#15,194

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Gale in 1935

girls
#587
122 births · 1 in 8,595 girls
boys
#351
244 births · 1 in 4,268 boys

Top girls' names in 1935

  1. #1Mary55,076
  2. #2Shirley42,366
  3. #3Barbara30,698
  4. #4Betty28,674
  5. #5Patricia22,879
  6. #6Dorothy19,406
  7. #7Joan18,220
  8. #8Margaret14,727
  9. #9Nancy14,544
  10. #10Helen12,785
  11. #587Gale122

Top boys' names in 1935

  1. #1Robert56,527
  2. #2James55,005
  3. #3John47,509
  4. #4William40,204
  5. #5Richard33,946
  6. #6Charles29,983
  7. #7Donald29,674
  8. #8George18,564
  9. #9Thomas17,684
  10. #10Joseph17,181
  11. #351Gale244
More about 1935

girls

1,048,577 girls got a published name in 1935; 1 in 8,595 of them was named Gale, which outranked 88.0% of the 4,893 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.7% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gale
  1. #582Jaunita123
  2. #582Maurine123
  3. #582Valeria123
  4. #587Gale122
  5. #587Lauretta122
  6. #587Maryjane122
  7. #587Rowena122
  8. #591Margret121
  9. #592Angelita120
  10. #592Annetta120

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1934
Risers
  1. 2,736Norita#3,449#713
  2. 1,073Shelby#1,913#840
  3. 672Darla#1,344#672
  4. 396Shirleyann#1,292#896
  5. 375Loris#1,236#861
Fallers
  1. 545Marcelina#938#1,483
  2. 456Tomasa#925#1,381
  3. 393Glendora#938#1,331
  4. 388Marceline#993#1,381
  5. 358Rheta#526#884

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,041,351 boys got a published name in 1935; 1 in 4,268 of them was named Gale, which outranked 91.5% of the 4,146 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.3% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gale
  1. #348Millard252
  2. #349Odell250
  3. #350Erwin249
  4. #351Gale244
  5. #352Ed243
  6. #353Elvin241
  7. #354Alonzo240
Biggest movers since 1934
Risers
  1. 1,371Darwyn#2,121#750
  2. 678Landon#1,608#930
  3. 678Stafford#1,658#980
  4. 666Lance#1,658#992
  5. 492Delwin#1,461#969
Fallers
  1. 534Estel#792#1,326
  2. 493Gustav#897#1,390
  3. 381Florian#845#1,226
  4. 353Laurie#942#1,295
  5. 342Valentin#931#1,273

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1935