Behind the Name: Meaning, Origin and History of the Name Abel

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ABEL

GENDER: Masculine

USAGE: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek

OTHER SCRIPTS: הֶבֶל, הָבֶל (Ancient Hebrew), Αβελ (Ancient Greek)

PRONOUNCED: AY-bəl (English), ah-BEL (Spanish), ə-BEL (Portuguese) [key]

Meaning & History

From the Hebrew name הֶבֶל (Hevel) or הָבֶל (Havel) which meant "breath". In the Old Testament he is the second son of Adam and Eve, murdered out of envy by his brother Cain. In England, this name came into use during the Middle Ages, and it was common during the Puritan era.

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