Gaël (feminine Gaëlle) is a Breton given name. Its etymology is uncertain, it may be related to the ethnonym ''Gael'' (

Goidel The Gaels ( ; ga, Na Gaeil ; gd, Na Gàidheil ; gv, Ny Gaeil ) are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the British Isles. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languag ...

); alternatively, it may be a variant of the name

Gwenhael Saint Gwenhael (french: Guénaël; br, Gwenael; Old Breton: ''Gwenhael'') was a Breton saint of the 6th century, born at Ergué-Gabéric (Finistère), the second abbot of Landévennec Abbey, successor in 532 to the founder, Saint Winwaloe (Gw ...

(name of a 6th-century Breton saint). While the popularity of the masculine name ''Gaël'' has been consistently at about rank 100 in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

during the 2000s, the feminine name was at rank 100 in 2000 but has declined in popularity since, dropping below rank 400 by 2010. The masculine name ''Gael'' in the United States rose steeply in popularity during the 2000s; below rank 1,000 before 2002, it rose to rank 146 in 2012.behindthename.com
/ref> ''Gael'' also sees some use as a feminine given name in the United States, as a variant of

Gail Gail may refer to: People *Gail (given name), list of notable people with the given name Surname * Jean-Baptiste Gail (1755–1829), French Hellenist scholar * Max Gail (born 1943), American actor * Sophie Gail (1775–1819), French singer and ...

and Gayle (short form of

Abigail Abigail () was an Israelite woman in the Hebrew Bible married to Nabal; she married the future King David after Nabal's death ( 1 Samuel ). Abigail was David's second wife, after Saul and Ahinoam's daughter, Michal, whom Saul later marri ...

People called Gaël (Gael)

Men: * Gaël Angoula (b. 1982), French footballer *

Gaël Clichy Gaël Dimitri Clichy (born 26 July 1985) is a French professional footballer who plays for Swiss Super League club Servette. He primarily plays as a left-back, being also capable of playing as an offensive-minded wing-back. He is predominan ...

(b. 1985), French footballer * Gaël Da Silva (b. 1984), French gymnast * Gaël Danic (b. 1981), French footballer *

Gaël Etock Gaël Junior Etock (born 5 July 1993) is a Cameroonian footballer who most recently played for FC Lahti in Finland as a striker or winger. Club career On 18 August 2012, Gaël made his debut with Sporting B in a 2012–13 Segunda Liga home matc ...

(b. 1993), Belgian footballer *

Gaël Fickou Gaël Fickou (born 26 March 1994) is a French rugby union player who plays for French club Racing 92. His usual position is in the Centre or Wing. Club career Fickou made his Heineken Cup debut on 14 October 2012, scoring the only try of the ...

(b. 1994), French rugby player *

Gael García Bernal Gael García Bernal (; born 30 November 1978) is a Mexican actor and producer. He is best known for his performances in the films '' Bad Education'', '' The Motorcycle Diaries'', '' Amores perros'', '' Y tu mamá también'', '' Babel'', '' Coco' ...

(b. 1978), Mexican actor and producer *

Gaël Germany Gaël Germany (born 10 May 1983 in Sainte-Marie) is a Martiniquais international footballer who currently plays for Samaritaine as a midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an ex ...

(b. 1983), French footballer * Gaël Givet (b. 1981), French footballer * Gaël Kakuta (born 1991), footballer *

Gaël Leforestier Gaël Leforestier (born 28 May 1975) is a French television host. TV career Gaël Leforestier began his career at the age of 15, portraying Pierre de Marivaux in ''Le Triomphe de l'amour'', in Paris. In 1992 he wrote and directed a short film wi ...

(b. 1975), French television host * Gael Margulies (b. 1994), Israeli footballer *

Gaël Monfils Gaël Sébastien Monfils (; born 1 September 1986) is a French professional tennis player. He has been ranked as high as world No. 6 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which he achieved in November 2016. His career high ...

(b. 1986), French tennis player * Gaël Monthurel (b. 1966), French handball player *

Gaël Morel Gaël Morel (born 25 September 1972) is a French film director, screenwriter and actor. Life and career Morel was born in Villefranche-sur-Saône, Rhône (department), Rhône, France, a town of 30,000 inhabitants outside Lyon. He grew up in the ...

(b. 1972), French film director *

Gaël N'Lundulu Gaël (Gallo: ''Gaèu'') is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in northwestern France. It lies southwest of Rennes between Saint-Méen-le-Grand and Mauron. In the 18th century, a fair was held twice a year in August and Oc ...

(b. 1992), French footballer * Gaël Pencreach (b. 1977), French runner *

Gaël Querin Gaël Quérin (born 26 June 1987 in Lille) is a French athlete competing in the decathlon. Competition record Personal bests Outdoor *100 m – 11.12 (0.7 m/s) (Shenzhen 2011) *400 m – 47.84 (Toruń 2011) *1500 m – 4:10.47 (Toruń 201 ...

(b. 1987), French decathlete *

Gaël Tallec Gaël Tallec (born 15 August 1976) is a French former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played representative rugby league for France at the 1995 World Cup and 2000 World Cup. Playing ca ...

(b. 1976), French rugby player *

Gaël Touya Gaël Touya (born 23 October 1973) is a French fencer. He won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, in team sabre, together with his brother Damien Touya and Julien Pillet Julien Pillet (born 28 September 1977 in Dijon, Côte- ...

(b. 1973), French fencer * Gaël Yanno (b. 1961), French politician representing New Caledonia Women: *

Gael Baudino Gael Baudino (born 1955) is a contemporary American fantasy author who also writes under the pseudonyms of Gael Kathryns, Gael A. Kathryns, K.M. Tonso, and G.A. Kathryns. She attended college at the University of Southern California. Sometime bef ...

(b. 1955, pen name), American fantasy author *

Gael Jean Campbell-Young Gael Jean Campbell-Young (born 1973, Carletonville) is a South African-born plant taxonomist and actor. She was actively involved in botanical research in South Africa until 2007, at which point she emigrated to Australia. Campbell-Young jointly ...

(b. 1973), South African-born plant taxonomist and actor *

Gael Greene Gael Greene (December 22, 1933 – November 1, 2022) was an American restaurant critic, author, and novelist. She became ''New York'' magazine's restaurant critic in fall 1968, at a time when most New Yorkers were unsophisticated about food and t ...

(1933–2022), American restaurant critic and author *

Gael Mackie Gael Briane Mackie (born December 16, 1988) is a Canadian artistic gymnast who competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Family Mackie's father, William Mackie, twice qualified for the Canadian Olympic team in men's gymnastics, but both times, inj ...

(b. 1988), Canadian artistic gymnast *

Gael Martin Gael Patricia Mulhall-Martin (born 27 August 1956) is a former Australian athlete who competed in the shot put and in the discus throw at the Olympic level and also had a career in powerlifting. Athletics Born in Melbourne, Mulhall-Martin is ...

(b. 1956), Australian athlete * Gael Murphy (year of birth unknown), American anti-war activist

People called Gaëlle (Gaelle)

* Anna Gaël (1943–2022), Hungarian actress * Gaëlle Méchaly (b. 1970), French soprano * Gaelle Adisson (b. 1974), American house/soul singer and songwriter *

Anne-Gaëlle Sidot Anne-Gaëlle Sidot (born 24 July 1979) is a former professional tennis player from France. Career Sidot turned professional in 1994. Her best Grand Slam singles performances were reaching the third round exactly once in each of the four Grand ...

(b. 1979), French tennis player * Gaëlle Thalmann (b. 1986), Swiss footballer * Gaëlle Valcke (b. 1986), Belgian field hockey player * Gaelle Mys (b. 1991), Belgian gymnast * Gaëlle Enganamouit (b. 1992), Cameroonian footballer * Gaëlle Barlet (b. 1988), French mountain bike orienteering competitor (champion 2011)

References

{{given name French masculine given names Masculine given names

People called Gaël (Gael)

People called Gaëlle (Gaelle)

See also

References