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
- Peak · girls
- 1957 · 1,210 births
- Debut · girls
- 5 births
- In top 100 · girls
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 19,906since 1893
Gale over time
Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | #6,446 | 13 | |
| 2024 | — | #6,469 | 13 | |
| 2023 | #15,194 | 5 | #5,927 | 15 |
| 2022 | — | #10,863 | 6 | |
| 2021 | — | — | ||
| 2020 | — | #9,554 | 7 | |
| 2019 | #12,448 | 7 | #9,756 | 7 |
| 2018 | — | #6,036 | 14 | |
| 2017 | #15,902 | 5 | #7,546 | 10 |
| 2016 | — | #8,816 | 8 | |
| 2015 | — | #8,744 | 8 | |
| 2014 | — | #8,130 | 9 | |
| 2013 | #14,582 | 6 | #8,789 | 8 |
| 2012 | — | — | ||
| 2011 | #14,824 | 6 | — | |
| 2010 | — | — | ||
| 2009 | — | — | ||
| 2008 | — | #12,553 | 5 | |
| 2007 | — | #9,788 | 7 | |
| 2006 | — | — | ||
| 2005 | #11,834 | 8 | #11,472 | 5 |
| 2004 | — | — | ||
| 2003 | — | #8,643 | 7 | |
| 2002 | — | #10,667 | 5 | |
| 2001 | — | — | ||
| 2000 | #15,031 | 5 | #7,416 | 8 |
| 1999 | #12,688 | 6 | — | |
| 1998 | #10,122 | 8 | — | |
| 1997 | — | #8,110 | 6 | |
| 1996 | #13,518 | 5 | #7,971 | 6 |
| 1995 | #10,514 | 7 | — | |
| 1994 | #13,430 | 5 | #5,452 | 10 |
| 1993 | — | #4,447 | 13 | |
| 1992 | #10,479 | 7 | #6,128 | 8 |
| 1991 | #8,588 | 9 | #5,096 | 10 |
| 1990 | #7,303 | 11 | #5,823 | 8 |
| 1989 | #8,037 | 9 | #4,017 | 13 |
| 1988 | #7,691 | 9 | #4,786 | 9 |
| 1987 | #5,312 | 14 | #4,573 | 9 |
| 1986 | #4,347 | 18 | #5,332 | 7 |
| 1985 | #3,852 | 21 | #3,805 | 11 |
| 1984 | #6,291 | 10 | #2,956 | 15 |
| 1983 | #3,242 | 25 | #3,630 | 11 |
| 1982 | #2,645 | 35 | #3,282 | 13 |
| 1981 | #4,005 | 19 | #1,996 | 27 |
| 1980 | #2,866 | 31 | #2,536 | 19 |
| 1979 | #3,078 | 27 | #2,465 | 19 |
| 1978 | #2,572 | 33 | #2,473 | 18 |
| 1977 | #2,423 | 36 | #2,270 | 20 |
| 1976 | #2,099 | 41 | #2,054 | 23 |
| 1975 | #1,689 | 56 | #1,630 | 31 |
| 1974 | #1,499 | 65 | #1,198 | 48 |
| 1973 | #1,388 | 71 | #1,186 | 48 |
| 1972 | #1,141 | 96 | #1,364 | 38 |
| 1971 | #1,176 | 97 | #1,026 | 63 |
| 1970 | #979 | 128 | #1,132 | 53 |
| 1969 | #826 | 155 | #920 | 68 |
| 1968 | #791 | 160 | #1,006 | 54 |
| 1967 | #669 | 206 | #893 | 65 |
| 1966 | #621 | 234 | #895 | 65 |
| 1965 | #640 | 234 | #820 | 81 |
| 1964 | #581 | 290 | #799 | 89 |
| 1963 | #538 | 324 | #795 | 91 |
| 1962 | #539 | 329 | #786 | 94 |
| 1961 | #446 | 478 | #769 | 101 |
| 1960 | #393 | 587 | #691 | 129 |
| 1959 | #319 | 852 | #730 | 110 |
| 1958 | #272 | 1,052 | #660 | 136 |
| 1957 | #244 | 1,210 | #619 | 154 |
| 1956 | #255 | 1,077 | #543 | 193 |
| 1955 | #260 | 1,030 | #517 | 199 |
| 1954 | #259 | 1,015 | #453 | 254 |
| 1953 | #264 | 947 | #438 | 263 |
| 1952 | #283 | 820 | #381 | 324 |
| 1951 | #275 | 814 | #375 | 329 |
| 1950 | #301 | 662 | #372 | 333 |
| 1949 | #319 | 591 | #380 | 314 |
| 1948 | #314 | 601 | #361 | 349 |
| 1947 | #271 | 796 | #352 | 377 |
| 1946 | #310 | 566 | #370 | 305 |
| 1945 | #321 | 447 | #351 | 287 |
| 1944 | #353 | 382 | #354 | 283 |
| 1943 | #348 | 425 | #351 | 302 |
| 1942 | #369 | 365 | #351 | 298 |
| 1941 | #365 | 338 | #341 | 287 |
| 1940 | #323 | 389 | #323 | 307 |
| 1939 | #392 | 288 | #321 | 291 |
| 1938 | #552 | 152 | #324 | 292 |
| 1937 | #556 | 147 | #322 | 284 |
| 1936 | #597 | 122 | #344 | 250 |
| 1935 | #587 | 122 | #351 | 244 |
| 1934 | #756 | 78 | #336 | 262 |
| 1933 | #1,102 | 40 | #372 | 213 |
| 1932 | #1,097 | 42 | #372 | 224 |
| 1931 | #1,750 | 20 | #435 | 169 |
| 1930 | #1,434 | 29 | #418 | 199 |
| 1929 | #1,419 | 29 | #456 | 168 |
| 1928 | #1,271 | 36 | #445 | 181 |
| 1927 | #1,278 | 38 | #380 | 241 |
| 1926 | #1,262 | 38 | #436 | 192 |
| 1925 | #1,535 | 29 | #433 | 190 |
| 1924 | #1,643 | 27 | #384 | 243 |
| 1923 | #1,428 | 32 | #390 | 232 |
| 1922 | #1,646 | 26 | #461 | 180 |
| 1921 | #1,205 | 41 | #422 | 205 |
| 1920 | #1,312 | 35 | #457 | 176 |
| 1919 | #1,604 | 25 | #494 | 145 |
| 1918 | #1,754 | 22 | #474 | 155 |
| 1917 | #1,773 | 20 | #521 | 123 |
| 1916 | #1,445 | 26 | #537 | 114 |
| 1915 | #1,523 | 23 | #550 | 104 |
| 1914 | #1,603 | 17 | #520 | 89 |
| 1913 | #2,331 | 8 | #564 | 59 |
| 1912 | #1,981 | 9 | #649 | 42 |
| 1911 | #1,450 | 11 | #667 | 22 |
| 1910 | #1,935 | 7 | #928 | 12 |
| 1909 | #1,607 | 8 | #558 | 22 |
| 1908 | #1,439 | 9 | #585 | 19 |
| 1907 | — | #664 | 15 | |
| 1906 | — | — | ||
| 1905 | #1,538 | 7 | #741 | 11 |
| 1904 | — | #1,064 | 6 | |
| 1903 | — | #656 | 12 | |
| 1902 | — | #794 | 9 | |
| 1901 | — | #637 | 11 | |
| 1900 | #1,231 | 10 | #836 | 10 |
| 1899 | — | — | ||
| 1898 | — | #1,002 | 6 | |
| 1897 | #1,385 | 6 | #584 | 13 |
| 1896 | #1,583 | 5 | — | |
| 1895 | — | #978 | 6 | |
| 1894 | — | #594 | 12 | |
| 1893 | #1,437 | 5 | #615 | 11 |
| 1892 | — | — | ||
| 1891 | — | — | ||
| 1890 | — | #994 | 5 | |
| 1889 | — | — | ||
| 1888 | — | #1,031 | 5 | |
| 1887 | — | #819 | 6 | |
| 1886 | — | — | ||
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | #892 | 5 | |
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
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 1939
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Massachusetts#204 · 1 in 2,016
- Nebraska#231 · 1 in 1,815
- New York#242 · 1 in 2,078
- Pennsylvania#246 · 1 in 2,332
- Wisconsin#248 · 1 in 2,611
Best ever in a state: #114 in Rhode Island, 1940.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | #204 | 14 | 1 in 2,016 |
| Nebraska | #231 | 5 | 1 in 1,815 |
| New York | #242 | 41 | 1 in 2,078 |
| Pennsylvania | #246 | 31 | 1 in 2,332 |
| Wisconsin | #248 | 9 | 1 in 2,611 |
| New Jersey | #268 | 9 | 1 in 2,771 |
| Michigan | #274 | 15 | 1 in 2,766 |
| Illinois | #281 | 20 | 1 in 2,686 |
| Iowa | #292 | 6 | 1 in 3,179 |
| Ohio | #298 | 15 | 1 in 3,360 |
| California | #325 | 17 | 1 in 2,683 |
| West Virginia | #330 | 6 | 1 in 3,128 |
| Florida | #352 | 5 | 1 in 2,762 |
| Indiana | #392 | 5 | 1 in 5,079 |
| Missouri | #393 | 6 | 1 in 4,469 |
| Tennessee | #435 | 5 | 1 in 5,432 |
| Kentucky | #445 | 5 | 1 in 5,515 |
| Georgia | #451 | 6 | 1 in 5,186 |
| North Carolina | #459 | 6 | 1 in 6,142 |
| Texas | #515 | 13 | 1 in 4,384 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| 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
- 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)
- Debuted 1893
- Peaked 1957 at #244 (1,210 births)
- Births halved by 1960, 3 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 37 yrs · run 1934–1970
- 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%)
- 47.6% of all girls named Gale (9,479) were born in this decade
- Mostly girls until 2019, mostly boys since
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 16 | #1,385 (1897) | #1,468 |
| 1900s | 34 | #1,231 (1900) | #1,454 |
| 1910s | 168 | #1,445 (1916) | #1,740 |
| 1920s | 331 | #1,205 (1921) | #1,400 |
| 1930s | 1,040 | #392 (1939) | #882 |
| 1940s | 4,900 | #271 (1947) | #329 |
| 1950s | 9,479 | #244 (1957) | #273 |
| 1960s | 2,997 | #393 (1960) | #604 |
| 1970s | 650 | #979 (1970) | #1,804 |
| 1980s | 191 | #2,645 (1982) | #4,829 |
| 1990s | 58 | #7,303 (1990) | #10,830 |
| 2000s | 13 | #11,834 (2005) | #13,433 |
| 2010s | 24 | #12,448 (2019) | #14,439 |
| 2020s | 5 | #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 1939
Top girls' names in 1939
Top boys' names in 1939
More about 1939
girls
1,096,612 girls got a published name in 1939; 1 in 3,808 of them was named Gale, which outranked 92.1% of the 4,950 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
boys
1,106,852 boys got a published name in 1939; 1 in 3,804 of them was named Gale, which outranked 91.9% of the 3,968 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).