Gael is the name of the Gaelic-speaking peoples of Ireland and Scotland and goes back to the Old Irish Goídel, which is usually explained as "Gaelic" or "Irishman". In the Spanish-speaking world it became a first name thanks to Mexican actor Gael García Bernal, and Hispanic families have made it one of the fastest risers in the United States: from number 9489 in 2000 to the top 1000 in 2002, the top 100 in 2023 and number 86 in 2025, its best rank so far.