Mabel is an English female

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

derived from the Latin ''amabilis'', "lovable, dear".Reclams Namensbuch, 1987,

History

Amabilis of Riom Amabilis of Riom (or ''Amabilis of Auvergne'') (french: Saint Amable, it, Sant'Amabile) was a French saint. Sidonius Apollinaris brought Amabilis to serve at Clermont. He served as a cantor in the church of Saint Mary at Clermont and as a prec ...

(died 475) was a French male saint who logically would have assumed the name Amabilis upon entering the priesthood: his veneration may have resulted in Amabilis being used as both a male and female name, or the name's female usage may have been initiated by the female saint Amabilis of Rouen (died 634), the daughter of an Anglo-Saxon king who would have adopted the name Amabilis upon becoming a nun. Brought by the Normans—as Amable—to the British Isles, the name was there common as both Amabel and the abbreviated Mabel throughout the Middle Ages, with Mabel subsequently remaining common until , from which point its usage was largely restricted to Ireland, Mabel there being perceived as a variant of the Celtic name

Maeve Maeve, Maev or Maiv is a female given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish name ''Méabh'', which was spelt in early modern Irish (), or in Middle Irish, and in Old Irish (). It may derive from a word meaning "she who intoxicates", ...

, until the name had a Victorian revival in Britain, facilitated by the 1853 publication of the novel '' The Heir of Redclyffe'' by Charlotte M. Yonge, which features an Irish character named Mabel Kilcoran; Yonge's novel also features a character named Amabel, but her novel only significantly boosted the popularity of the name in the form Mabel, which became immensely popular in both the British Isles and the United States. At the start of the 20th century, Mabel's popularity began a slow decline which accelerated from the 1930s; the name has seen very light usage since the 1960s. Due to its origin as an abridgement of Amabel it has been surmised that Mabel was originally pronounced with a short A, the name's pronunciation with a long A dating only from its mid-19th-century revival.

Notable people

* Mabel McVey (born 1996), English singer and songwriter *

Mabel of Bury St. Edmunds Mabel of Bury St. Edmunds (13th-century) was an English embroiderer of immense skill. Mabel was from Bury St. Edmunds. She frequently appeared in the royal records of Henry III as a favoured artisan. Between the years 1239 and 1245 she appeared ...

, 13th-century embroiderer * Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau (born 1968), member of the Dutch royalty * Mabel Albertson (1901–1992), American character actress *

Mabel Esther Allan Mabel Esther Allan (11 February 1915 – 14 May 1998) was a British author of about 170 children's books. Biography Mabel Esther Allan was born at Wallasey on the Wirral Peninsula, then in Cheshire (now Merseyside). She decided to be a ...

(1915–1998), British author *

Mabel Lucie Atwell Mabel Lucie Attwell (4 June 1879 – 5 November 1964) was a British illustrator and comics artist. She was known for her cute, nostalgic drawings of children. Her drawings are featured on many Postcard, postcards, advertisements, Poster, pos ...

(1879–1964) British children's illustrator and author *

Mabel Marks Bacon Mabel Marks Bacon (December 17, 1876 – December 14, 1966) was an American hotelier. She designed and operated several prominent hotels along the Gulf Coast in the 1930s. In the 1910s she was known for her skill with sailing, skippered a portion ...

(1876–1966), American hotelier * Mabel Ballin (1887–1958), American actress * Mabel de Bellême (died 1079), Countess of Shrewsbury and Lady of Arundel * Mabel Besant-Scott (1870–1952), British occultist *

Mabel Thorp Boardman Mabel Thorp Boardman (October 12, 1860 – March 17, 1946) was an American philanthropist involved with the American Red Cross. She led the Red Cross in the United States following its receiving congressional charter in 1905 until World War I ...

(1860–1946), American philanthropist involved with the American Red Cross *

Mabel Browne, Countess of Kildare Mabel Browne, Countess of Kildare (c. 1536 – 25 August 1610) was an English courtier. She was wife of Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare, Baron of Offaly (25 February 1525 – 16 November 1585). She was born into the English Roman Catholi ...

(c. 1536 – 1610) * Mabel Cheung (born 1950), film director from Hong Kong * Mabel Colhoun (1905–1992), Irish photographer, teacher and archaeologist * Mabel Condemarín (1931–2004), Chilean educator * Mabel Wheeler Daniels (1877–1971), American composer, conductor, and teacher * Mabel Dove Danquah (1905–1984), Ghanaian journalist, political activist and creative writer * Mabel Dearmer (1872–1915), English novelist, dramatist and children's book author/illustrator * Mabel DeWare (1926-2022), Canadian politician, curler, and retired senator * Mabel Smith Douglass (1874–1933), American academic * Mabel Fairbanks (1915–2001), American figure skater * Mabel FitzRobert, Countess of Gloucester (c. 1100 – 1157), Anglo-Norman noblewoman * Lady Mabel Wentworth-Fitzwilliam (1870–1951), English politician * Mabel B. Holle (1920–2011), player in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball * Mabel Gardiner Hubbard (1857–1923), wife of Alexander Graham Bell * Mabel Grammer (1915–2002), American journalist * Mabel Farrington Gifford (1880–1962), American speech therapist * Mabel Jones (c. 1865-1923), British physician and suffragette sympathiser * Mabel King (1932–1999), American singer and actress * Mabel Hyde Kittredge (1867–1955), home economist and social worker *

Mabel Lang Mabel Louise Lang (November 12, 1917 – July 21, 2010) was an American archaeologist and scholar of Classical Greek and Mycenaean culture. Biography Lang took her first degree at Cornell University in 1939 and was awarded her PhD at Bryn Ma ...

(1917–2010), American archaeologist *

Mabel Ping-Hua Lee Mabel Ping-Hua Lee ( zh, 李彬华; October 7, 1896 – 1966) was a Chinese-American women's rights activist and minister who campaigned for women's suffrage in the United States, women's suffrage in the United States. Later in life, Lee became a ...

(1896-1966), Chinese advocate for women's suffrage in the United States *

Mabel Lee Mabel Lee is a translator of the works of Nobel Prize-winning author Gao Xingjian. She has taught Asian studies at the University of Sydney and is one of Australia's leading authorities on Chinese cultural affairs. Lee was a professor of South ...

, Australian translator * Mabel Lockerby (1882–1976), Canadian artist * Mabel Dodge Luhan (1879–1962), American patron of the arts *

Mabel Manzotti Mabel Gladys Manzotti (July 28, 1938 – January 25, 2012) was an Argentine film, stage and television actress. Her film credits included ''Besos en la Frente'', while her telenovela credits included roles in ''Vidas robadas''. She played Bo ...

(1938–2012), Argentine film, stage and television actress * Mabel Mercer (1900–1994), American cabaret singer * Mabel Mosquera (born 1969), Colombian weightlifter *

Mabel Normand Amabel Ethelreid Normand (November 9, 1893 – February 23, 1930), better known as Mabel Normand, was an American silent film actress, screenwriter, director, and producer. She was a popular star and collaborator of Mack Sennett in their K ...

(1892–1930), American comic actress *

Mabel Paige Mabel Paige (December 19, 1880 – February 9, 1954) was an American stage and film actress. Early years Paige began acting at age four, when she appeared in ''Van, the Virginian''. Career When she was 11 years old, Paige began acting ...

(1880–1954), American stage and film actress * Mabel Parton (1881–1962), English tennis player * Mabel Cosgrove Wodehouse Pearse, Irish writer *

Mabel Poulton Mabel Lilian Poulton (29 July 1901 – 21 December 1994) was an English film actress, popular in Britain during the era of silent films. Career Born in Bethnal Green, London, England, Poulton worked as a stenographer and entered films by ...

(1901–1994), English actress *

Mabel Pryde Mabel Scott Lauder Pryde (12 February 1871 – July 1918) was a Scottish artist, the wife of artist William Nicholson, and the mother of artists Ben Nicholson and Nancy Nicholson and the architect Christopher 'Kit' Nicholson. Life She was ...

(1871–1918), Scottish artist *

Mabel Rayner Mabel Mary Cheveley Rayner (c. 1890-1948) was an English botanist specialising in mycology. She published books and articles on plant physiology and was one of the first researchers to propose that mycorrhizal interactions could both help and ha ...

(c.1890-1948), English botanist *

Mabel Sonnier Savoie Mabel Sonnier Savoie (October 4, 1939 – July 10, 2013) was an American singer and guitar player with roots in Southern Louisiana's country and western and Cajun music scene. She was one of the first solo female recording artists in Louisiana. ...

(1939–2013), American singer and guitar player * Mabel Seeley (1903–1991), American mystery writer * Mabel A. Shaw (1880 – June 15, 1962) *

Mabel L. Smith Mabel Louise Smith (May 1, 1924 – January 23, 1972), known professionally as Big Maybelle, was an American R&B singer. Her 1956 hit single "Candy" received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999. Childhood and musical background Born in Jac ...

(1924–1972), known professionally as Big Maybelle, American R&B singer * Mabel Stark (1889–1968), tiger trainer *

Mabel Keaton Staupers Mabel Keaton Staupers (February 27, 1890 – September 30, 1989) was a pioneer in the American nursing profession. Faced with racial discrimination after graduating from nursing school, Staupers became an advocate for racial equality in the nurs ...

(1890–1989), pioneer in the American nursing profession *

Mabel St Clair Stobart Mabel Annie St Clair Stobart ( Boulton; 3 February 1862 – 7 December 1954) was a British suffragist and aid-worker. She created and commanded all-women medical units to serve in the Balkan Wars and the First World War. She became the first ...

(1862–1954), British suffragist and aid-worker *

Mabel Strickland Mabel Edeline Strickland, (8 January 1899 – 29 November 1988), was an Anglo- Maltese journalist, newspaper proprietor and politician. Family and personal life Strickland was the daughter of Sir Gerald Strickland, later the 4th Prime Ministe ...

(1899–1988), Maltese journalist and politician *

Mabel Taliaferro Mabel Taliaferro (born Maybelle Evelyn Taliaferro; May 21, 1887 – January 24, 1979) was an American stage and silent-screen actress, known as "the Sweetheart of American Movies." Early years Taliaferro was born as Maybelle Evelyn Taliaferro i ...

(1887–1979), American actress *

Mabel Loomis Todd Mabel Loomis Todd or Mabel Loomis (November 10, 1856 – October 14, 1932) was an American editor and writer. She is remembered as the editor of posthumously published editions of Emily Dickinson and also wrote several novels and logs of her ...

(1856–1932), American editor and writer * Mabel Todd (disambiguation), several people *

Mabel Landrum Torrey Mabel Landrum Torrey (June 23, 1886 – April 1, 1974) was an American sculptor best known for her statuettes and sculptures of children. A number of her works were inspired by the poetry of Eugene Field. Early life and education Torrey was ...

(1886–1974), American sculptor *

Mabel Vernon Mabel is an English female given name derived from the Latin ''amabilis'', "lovable, dear".Reclams Namensbuch, 1987, History Amabilis of Riom (died 475) was a French male saint who logically would have assumed the name Amabilis upon entering th ...

(1883–1975), American suffragist * Mabel Rose Welch (1871–1959), American painter of portrait miniatures *

Mabel Walker Willebrandt Mabel Walker Willebrandt (May 23, 1889 – April 6, 1963), popularly known to her contemporaries as the First Lady of Law, was a U.S. Assistant Attorney General from 1921 to 1929, handling cases concerning violations of the Volstead Act, federal ...

(1889–1963), U.S. Assistant Attorney General from 1921 to 1929 under the Warren G. Harding administration * Mabel Sine Wadsworth (1910–2006), American birth control activist and women's health educator *

Mabel May Woodward Mabel May Woodward (September 28, 1877 – August 14, 1945) was a prominent Rhode Island impressionist painter during the late 19th and early 20th century. She was active from 1896 until 1943, primarily in Rhode Island and in Maine. Early life ...

(1877–1945), American impressionist painter * Mabel Martin Wyrick (1913–2003), American writer * Mabel Yuan (born 1987), Chinese actress and singer

Stage name or ring name

* Mabel Matiz (born 1985), Turkish pop singer * Mabel (singer) (born 1996), English pop singer, daughter of singer Neneh Cherry *

Mabel (wrestler) Nelson Frazier Jr. (February 14, 1971 – February 18, 2014) was an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/WWE) in the 1990s and 2000s under the rin ...

, a ring name of American professional wrestler Nelson Lee Frazier Jr. (1971–2014)

Fictional characters

*Mabel Mora, a female lead character in the

Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...

web television series ''

Only Murders in the Building ''Only Murders in the Building'' is an American mystery comedy-drama television series created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman. The ten-episode first season premiered on Hulu in August 2021. The plot follows three strangers played by Steve Ma ...

'' *Mabel Darcy, daughter of Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy, in the ''

Bridget Jones's Diary ''Bridget Jones's Diary'' is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Sharon Maguire and written by Richard Curtis, Andrew Davies (writer), Andrew Davies, and Helen Fielding. A co-production of the United Kingdom, United States and France, it is ...

'' series * Mabel Motley, female lead character on the 1976–2000 comic strip '' Motley's Crew'' * Mabel Pines, a main character in the animated series '' Gravity Falls'' *Mabel Stanley, a lead character in '' The Pirates of Penzance'' *Mabel Timbertoes, a child character in the ''

Timbertoes ''Highlights for Children'', often referred to simply as ''Highlights'', is an American children's magazine. It began publication in June 1946, started by Garry Cleveland Myers and his wife Caroline Clark Myers in Honesdale, Pennsylvania (the p ...

'' series for '' Highlights for Children'' * Mabel the Ugly Stepsister, from the animated film '' Shrek the Third'' *Mabel Foyle, Viscountess Gillingham (born The Honourable Mabel Lane Fox), wife of Anthony “Tony” Foyle, Viscount Gillingham in the TV show '' Downton Abbey''

References

{{given name Feminine given names English feminine given names