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 1961
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Maine#259 · 1 in 1,676
- Maryland#273 · 1 in 1,895
- Massachusetts#301 · 1 in 3,178
- New Jersey#304 · 1 in 2,447
- Connecticut#325 · 1 in 2,729
Best ever in a state: #114 in Rhode Island, 1940.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | #259 | 6 | 1 in 1,676 |
| Maryland | #273 | 16 | 1 in 1,895 |
| Massachusetts | #301 | 17 | 1 in 3,178 |
| New Jersey | #304 | 24 | 1 in 2,447 |
| Connecticut | #325 | 9 | 1 in 2,729 |
| West Virginia | #345 | 6 | 1 in 2,803 |
| Wisconsin | #346 | 12 | 1 in 3,683 |
| Nebraska | #352 | 5 | 1 in 2,957 |
| Oregon | #357 | 6 | 1 in 2,595 |
| Indiana | #360 | 16 | 1 in 3,119 |
| Pennsylvania | #366 | 32 | 1 in 3,470 |
| Illinois | #382 | 32 | 1 in 3,332 |
| Minnesota | #384 | 9 | 1 in 4,293 |
| Virginia | #385 | 12 | 1 in 3,347 |
| South Carolina | #388 | 9 | 1 in 2,882 |
| Mississippi | #395 | 9 | 1 in 2,758 |
| Michigan | #402 | 21 | 1 in 4,137 |
| Florida | #404 | 16 | 1 in 3,129 |
| Kentucky | #414 | 8 | 1 in 3,986 |
| Iowa | #423 | 6 | 1 in 4,719 |
| Ohio | #423 | 24 | 1 in 4,343 |
| Arkansas | #427 | 5 | 1 in 3,498 |
| Georgia | #449 | 11 | 1 in 4,050 |
| North Carolina | #451 | 11 | 1 in 4,434 |
| Louisiana | #452 | 11 | 1 in 3,458 |
| New York | #458 | 37 | 1 in 4,540 |
| Missouri | #460 | 9 | 1 in 4,922 |
| Colorado | #475 | 5 | 1 in 3,975 |
| Texas | #594 | 21 | 1 in 5,322 |
| California | #605 | 28 | 1 in 6,254 |
| Alabama | #607 | 5 | 1 in 6,872 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| 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 1961
Top girls' names in 1961
Top boys' names in 1961
More about 1961
girls
2,018,495 girls got a published name in 1961; 1 in 4,223 of them was named Gale, which outranked 94.1% of the 7,527 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
2,124,195 boys got a published name in 1961; 1 in 21,032 of them was named Gale, which outranked 83.5% of the 4,657 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 29.1% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).