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.