Mabel comes from the Latin amabilis and means "lovable" or "dear"; it was common in medieval England as Amabel, dropped out of use and came back in a big way in the 19th century. It was a Victorian and Edwardian favorite in the United States and is now one of the clearest examples of the vintage revival. Mabel re-entered the US top 1000 in 2013 and has climbed from number 578 in 2015 to number 201 in 2025, its highest rank in a century.