Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Abel m. Traditionally derived from Hebrew הֶבֶל 'breath, vapor; vanity'.

The name of an early Syrian saint, an early Coptic saint, an 8th C French saint, and a 13th C king of Denmark. Wycliffite Bible (1395): Abel. Geneva Bible (1560): Abél, Habél.

The name was moderately common in England in the 13th C, but then fell out of use until being revived in the late 16th C.

England
Latin
1189 Abel (nom) GASurv p. 101; 1222 Abel (nom) StPaulDom p. 5
Dutch
1574 Abel AuFr Keijser; 1599 Abel ibid. Rutgers
Early Modern English
1572/3 Abell SurMus p. 161; 1583/4 Abell ibid. p. 28; 1598 Abell BEmar-vol2 p. 31
Walloon
1592 Abel RWC p. 21; 1593/4 Abel ibid. p. 30; 1596 Abel ibid. p. 42; 1597 Abel ibid. p. 46
France
Latin
1179 Abel (abl) clairvaux-12thc 177
Middle French
1561 Abel RegPCC-1 p. 4; 1562 Abel ibid. p. 8; 1563 Abel ibid. p. 18; 1564 Abel ibid. p. 58; 1565 Abel ibid. p. 114; 1566 Abel ibid. p. 203; 1567 Abel ibid. p. 279; 1568 Abel ibid. p. 401; 1570 Abel ibid. p. 424; 1571 Abel ibid. p. 437; 1572 Abel ibid. p. 497; 1587 Abel RTFProvins 181; 1588 Abel raymond1588 p. 564
Hungary
Latin
1138x1329 Abel (nom) ÁSznt p 40; 1181 Abel (nom) ibid. p. 40; 1208x1359 Abel (nom) ibid. p 40; 1211 Abel (nom) ibid. p. 40; 1215x1550 Abel (nom) ibid. p 40; 1337 Abel (nom) Slíz p. 11
Cite as: G. Grim, R. Le Get, M. Slíz, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Abel". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2023, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2023/1/name/Abel.