Mabel is an English female name derived from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''amabilis'', "lovable, dear".Reclams Namensbuch, 1987,

History

Amabilis of Riom Amabilis of Riom (or ''Amabilis of Auvergne'') (, ) was a Gallo-Roman 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 precentor at the cathedral of Clerm ...

(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, 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 of Bury St. Edmunds, 13th-century embroiderer *

Mabel Albertson Mabel Ida Albertson (July 24, 1901 – September 28, 1982) was an American actress of television, stage, radio and film who portrayed Phyllis Stephens in the TV sitcom '' Bewitched''. She also appeared in TV's ''The Time Tunnel'' (S1:E30, "Town ...

(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 in Cheshire (now Merseyside). She decided to be an author at ...

(1915–1998), British author *

Mabel Washbourne Anderson Mabel Washbourne Anderson (April 11, 1863 – September 6, 1949) was an American writer and educator based in Oklahoma. She wrote biographies, poetry, and fiction, mostly focused on Cherokee history and culture. Early life and education Washbourn ...

(1863–1949), American writer *

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 postcards, advertisements, posters, books and fi ...

(1879–1964) British children's illustrator and author * Mabel Marks Bacon (1876–1966), American hotelier *

Mabel Ballin Mabel Ballin (née Croft; January 1, 1885 – July 24, 1958), was an American motion-picture actress of the silent film era. Early life and career Mabel Croft was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 1, 1885. Some sources give 1887 as h ...

(1887–1958), American actress *

Mabel de Bellême Mabel de Bellême (1030s -1079) was a Norman noblewoman. She inherited the lordship of Bellême from her father and later became Countess of Shrewsbury through her husband. She was a member of the House of Bellême. Life Mabel was the daught ...

(died 1079), Countess of Shrewsbury and Lady of Arundel * Mabel Besant-Scott (1870–1952), British occultist * Mabel Thorp Boardman (1860–1946), American philanthropist involved with the American Red Cross *

Mabel Bagenal Mabel O'Neill, Countess of Tyrone (née Bagenal; – December 1595) was an Anglo-Irish noblewoman best known as the third wife of the prominent Gaelic Irish lord Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone. Mabel was born in Newry to British parents. Her fa ...

(c. 1571 – 1595), Countess of Tyrone *

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 Catho ...

(c. 1536 – 1610) *

Mabel Cheung Mabel Cheung Yuen Ting (, born 17 November 1950) is a film director from Hong Kong. She is one of the leading directors in Cinema of Hong Kong, Hong Kong cinema and is considered one of the three women (along with Ann Hui and Clara Law Cheuk-y ...

(born 1950), film director from Hong Kong *

Mabel Colhoun Mabel Colhoun (2 November 1905 – 1992), was a Derry-based pioneering photographer, teacher and archaeologist. Biography Mabel Remington Colhoun was born on 2 November 1905 in Londonderry to John Colhoun and Lizzie Johnston Gordon. Her famil ...

(1905–1992), Irish photographer, teacher and archaeologist *

Mabel Condemarín Mabel Condemarín (November 3, 1931 – March 30, 2004) was a Chilean educator. Biography Mabel Condemarín carried out her primary studies at the St. Mary of Iquique school, later studying at the José Abelardo Núñez Normal School and subs ...

(1931–2004), Chilean educator *

Mabel Wheeler Daniels Mabel Daniels, also known as Mabel Wheeler Daniels, (November 27, 1877 in Swampscott, Massachusetts – March 10, 1971 in Boston) was an American composer, Conducting, conductor, and teacher. She attended Radcliffe College and studied with ...

(1877–1971), American composer, conductor, and teacher *

Mabel Dove Danquah Mabel Dove Danquah (1905
''Graphic Online'' (via Modern Ghana), 13 April 2007. (S ...

(1905–1984), Ghanaian journalist, political activist and creative writer *

Mabel Dearmer Jessie Mabel Pritchard Dearmer (née White; 22 March 1872 – 15 July 1915) was an English novelist, dramatist and children's book author/illustrator. She was a committed pacifist who died while caring for the war wounded in Serbia. Early lif ...

(1872–1915), English novelist, dramatist and children's book author/illustrator *

Mabel DeWare Mabel Margaret DeWare ( Keiver; 9 August 1926 – 17 August 2022) was a Canadian politician, senator, and curler. DeWare was born in Moncton, New Brunswick, to parents Mary and Hugh Keiver. She skipped her team to a New Brunswick and Canad ...

(1926-2022), Canadian politician, curler, and retired senator *

Mabel Smith Douglass Mabel Smith Douglass (February 11, 1874 – September 21, 1933) was the first dean, in 1918, of the New Jersey College for Women in New Brunswick, New Jersey. In 1955, the college was renamed Douglass College in her honor. Douglass College is now ...

(1874–1933), American academic *

Mabel Evelyn Elliott Mabel Evelyn Elliott (8 February 1881 – 13 June 1968), sometimes written as Mabel Evelyn Elliot, was a British-born American physician who did post-war medical relief work in Turkey, Armenia, and Greece from 1919 to 1923. She continued her ove ...

(1881-1968) American Physician and Humanitarian *

Mabel Fairbanks Mabel Fairbanks (November 14, 1915 – September 29, 2001) was an American figure skater and coach. As an African American and Native American woman she paved the way for other minorities to compete in the sport of figure skating such as Tai B ...

(1915–2001), American figure skater *

Mabel Farrer Mabel Farrer was one of the United Kingdom's first female police officers and Cumbria's first female Special Constable. Career After training in London Mabel Farrer became one of the first female police officers in the UK. Her first position w ...

, one of the United Kingdom's first female police officers and Cumbria's first female Special Constable *

Mabel FitzRobert, Countess of Gloucester Mabel FitzRobert, Countess of Gloucester (c. 1100 – 29 September 1157) was an Anglo-Norman noblewoman, and a wealthy heiress who brought the lordship of Gloucester, among other prestigious honours to her husband, Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucest ...

(c. 1100 – 1157), Anglo-Norman noblewoman * Lady Mabel Wentworth-Fitzwilliam (1870–1951), English politician *

Mabel French Mabel Priscilla Penery French (4 June 1881 – 13 January 1955) was a Canadian lawyer and women's rights pioneer. She was the first woman to practice law in two separate Canadian provinces: New Brunswick and British Columbia. Life She was born ...

(1881–1955), Canadian lawyer and women's rights activist *

Mabel Gardiner Hubbard Mabel Gardiner Hubbard BellEber, Dorothy Harley in ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography'', Vol. 15, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003, accessed August 8, 2013.Toward, 1984. (November 25, 1857 – January 3, 1923) was an American busine ...

(1857–1923), wife of Alexander Graham Bell * Mabel Grammer (1915–2002), American journalist * Mabel Farrington Gifford (1880–1962), American speech therapist * Mabel B. Holle (1920–2011), player in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball *

Mabel Jones Mabel Jones (c. 1865–1923) was a British physician and a sympathizer to the Women's Social and Political Union, Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). Medical career Trained in London and from 1898, she worked in a practice with her fel ...

(c. 1865–1923), British physician and suffragette sympathiser *

Mabel Katz Mabel Katz is an Argentinian speaker and TV show host based in Los Angeles. She is a practitioner and teacher of the Hawaiian art of Ho'oponopono and is the author of ''The Easiest Way'', a series of books based on Ho’oponopono. Early life ...

, Argentinian-American speaker and TV show host *

Mabel King Mabel Elizabeth King (née Washington; December 25, 1932 – November 9, 1999) was an American actress and singer. She was known for her role as Mabel "Mama" Thomas on the ABC sitcom ''What's Happening!!'' from its premiere in 1976 until the end ...

(1932–1999), American singer and actress * Mabel Hyde Kittredge (1867–1955), home economist and social worker *

Mabel Landry Mabel Marie "Dolly" Staton (née Landry; November 20, 1932 – February 20, 2025) was an American track and field athlete, specializing in long jump and sprints. She represented the United States at the 1952 Olympics. Career During the prelim ...

(1932–2025), American track and field athlete *

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 Mawr ...

(1917–2010), American archaeologist * Mabel Ping-Hua Lee (1896–1966), Chinese advocate for women's suffrage in the United States *

Mabel Lee Mabel Lee ( zh, 陳順妍, b. 1939) is a translator, best-known for her English renditions of fiction and essays by Nobel Prize-winning author Gao Xingjian. A third-generation Chinese-Australian born in Warialda, she taught Chinese literature and ...

, Australian translator *

Mabel Lockerby Mabel Irene Lockerby (March 13, 1882 – May 1, 1976) was a Canadian artist. Career Lockerby`s birth year is sometimes attributed as 1887 from her own curriculum vitae but she was actually born in 1882 She was born in Montreal to Alexander L ...

(1882–1976), Canadian artist *

Mabel Dodge Luhan Mabel Evans Dodge Sterne Luhan (pronounced ''LOO-hahn''; née Ganson; February 26, 1879 – August 13, 1962) was an American patron of the arts, who was particularly associated with the Taos art colony. Early life Mabel Ganson was the heiress o ...

(1879–1962), American patron of the arts * Mabel Manzotti (1938–2012), Argentine film, stage and television actress * Mabel McVey (born 1996), Swedish-English singer and songwriter *

Mabel Mercer Mabel Mercer (3 February 1900 – 20 April 1984) was an English-born cabaret singer who performed in the United States, Britain, and Europe with the greats in jazz and cabaret. She was a featured performer at Chez Bricktop in Paris, owned ...

(1900–1994), American cabaret singer *

Mabel Mosquera Mabel Mosquera Mena (born July 1, 1969) is a weightlifter from Quibdó, Colombia. Born in Quibdó, Chocó, she started weightlifting in 1999. She competed in the women's 53 kg weight class at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Lifting 197.5 ...

(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, comedienne, director and screenwriter. 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 was born in New York City. She began acting at age four, when she appeared in ''Van, the Virginian''. Career When she was 11 ...

(1880–1954), American stage and film actress *

Mabel Parton Mabel Bramwell Parton (22 July 1881 – 12 August 1962) was a British tennis player who won a bronze medal at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. Parton had won a place in the semi-final but lost to Edith Hannam. She then won the bro ...

(1881–1962), English tennis player * Mabel Cosgrove Wodehouse Pearse, Irish writer * Mabel Poulton (1901–1994), English actress * Mabel Pryde (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 Mabel Seeley (née Hodnefield; March 25, 1903 – June 9, 1991) was an American mystery writer. Early life Seeley was born March 25, 1903, in Herman, Minnesota. Her family moved to St. Paul in 1920 where she attended Mechanic Arts High School ...

(1903–1991), American mystery writer *

Mabel A. Shaw Mabel A. Shaw (1880 – June 15, 1962) was noted as the person who held the record of gambling on horse races at Hollywood Park race track in California. She was called "America's No. 1 racing fan." Except for brief periods of illness, Mrs. Shaw ...

(1880 – June 15, 1962) * Mabel L. Smith (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 – November 29, 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 nursi ...

(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 Humanitarian aid, aid-worker. She created and commanded all-women medical units to serve in the Balkan Wars and the First World War. She ...

(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 (1887–1979), American actress *

Mabel Thambiah Mabel Thambiah (23 February 1916 - 17 December 1987) was a Sri Lankan educator. Biography Thambiah's parents were Mary Pooranam Thambiah and J.A. Thambiah. She attended Kandy High School and Chundikuli Girls' College, Jaffna. She then moved to ...

(1916 - 1987), Sri Lankan educator *

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's poetry and letters and also wrote several n ...

(1856–1932), American editor and writer *

Mabel Todd (disambiguation) Mabel Todd may refer to: * Mabel Elsworth Todd (1880–1956), founder of what later came to be known as Ideokinesis, a form of somatic education * Mabel Loomis Todd (1856–1932), American editor and writer * Mabel Todd (actress) Mabel Todd (A ...

, 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 (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 an American lawyer who served as the United States Assistant Attorney General from 1921 to 1929, handling cases concern ...

(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 Wagnalls Mabel Wagnalls (after marriage, Jones; April 20, 1871 – March 22, 1946) was an American pianist and writer. She established the Wagnalls Memorial Library in honor of her parents, Adam Willis Wagnalls, Adam and Anna Willis Wagnalls, as a gift to ...

(1871-1946), American pianist, writer, philanthropist * Mabel May Woodward (1877–1945), American impressionist painter * Mabel Martin Wyrick (1913–2003), American writer * Mabel Yuan (born 1987), Chinese actress and singer * Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau (born 1968), member of the Dutch royalty

Stage name or ring name

Mabel Matiz Fatih Karaca (; born 31 August 1985), better known by his stage name Mabel Matiz (), is a Turkish pop music singer-songwriter. He chose his stage name from two different words that he was inspired by. "Mabel" is from the Turkish novel ''Kumral ...

(born 1985), Turkish pop singer *

Mabel (singer) Mabel Alabama-Pearl McVey (born 19 February 1996) is a singer and songwriter. The daughter of English music producer Cameron McVey and Swedish singer Neneh Cherry, she rose to prominence in 2017 with her single "Finders Keepers (Mabel song), Fin ...

(born 1996), English pop singer, daughter of singer Neneh Cherry * Mabel (wrestler), a ring name of American professional wrestler Nelson Lee Frazier Jr. (1971–2014)

Fictional characters

*Mabel Buchman, daughter of Paul and Jamie Buchman of the TV series ''

Mad About You ''Mad About You'' is an American television sitcom starring Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a married couple in New York City as they navigate life together. In later seasons, the couple has a daughter. It initially aired on NBC from September 2 ...

'' *Mabel Darcy, daughter of

Bridget Jones Bridget Rose Jones is a fictional character created by British writer Helen Fielding. Jones first appeared in Fielding's '' Bridget Jones's Diary'' column in ''The Independent'' in 1995, which did not carry any byline. Thus, it seemed to be an ac ...

and

Mark Darcy Bridget Rose Jones is a fictional character created by British writer Helen Fielding. Jones first appeared in Fielding's '' Bridget Jones's Diary'' column in ''The Independent'' in 1995, which did not carry any byline. Thus, it seemed to be an ac ...

, in the ''

Bridget Jones's Diary ''Bridget Jones's Diary'' is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Sharon Maguire from a screenplay by Helen Fielding, Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis. It is based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Fielding, which was itself a loose ...

'' series *Mabel Foyle, Viscountess Gillingham (born The Honourable Mabel Lane Fox), wife of Anthony “Tony” Foyle, Viscount Gillingham in the TV show ''

Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. It first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV (TV network), ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United St ...

'' *Mabel Mora, a female lead character in the

Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...

web television Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as films and television series, streamed over the Internet. Standing in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air aerial systems, cable te ...

series ''

Only Murders in the Building , creator = Steve Martin & John Hoffman , starring = {{Plainlist, * Steve Martin * Martin Short * Selena Gomez * Aaron Dominguez * Amy Ryan * Cara Delevingne * Adina Verson * Michael Cyril Creighton , music ...

'' * Mabel Motley, female lead character on the 1976–2000 comic strip ''

Motley's Crew ''Motley's Crew'' was an American newspaper comic strip by Ben Templeton and Tom Forman (comics), Tom Forman with satirical social commentary. With readership spread among 250 newspapers in the United States alone, the comic strip acquired a hi ...

'' *

Mabel Pines Mabel Pines is a fictional character and one of the two lead characters of the Disney Channel/Disney XD animated series ''Gravity Falls''. The character is voiced by Kristen Schaal, and designed by the series creator, Alex Hirsch. She is inspir ...

, a main character in the animated series ''

Gravity Falls ''Gravity Falls'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery television comedy, comedy animated television series created by Alex Hirsch for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series follows the adventures of Dipper Pines (Jason Ritter) and his twi ...

'' *Mabel Stanley, a lead character in ''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 3 ...

'' *Mabel Timbertoes, a child character in the ''

Timbertoes ''Highlights for Children'', often referred to simply as ''Highlights'', is an American children's magazine. It was started in June 1946 by educators Garry Cleveland Myers and Caroline Clark Myers in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. They worked for the ...

'' series for ''

Highlights for Children ''Highlights for Children'', often referred to simply as ''Highlights'', is an American children's magazine. It was started in June 1946 by educators Garry Cleveland Myers and Caroline Clark Myers in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. They worked for the ...

'' *Mabel the Moo-Cow, from the children's book ''Mabel the Moo-Cow learns to count'' * Mabel the Ugly Stepsister, from the animated film ''

Shrek the Third ''Shrek the Third'' (also known as ''Shrek 3'') is a 2007 American animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book '' Shrek!'' by William Steig. Directed by Chris Miller and co-directed by Raman Hui from a sc ...

'' *Mabel Wheeler, comic relief character in the British comedy series ''

You Rang, M'Lord? ''You Rang, M'Lord?'' is a BBC television sitcom written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of ''Dad's Army''. It was broadcast between 29 December 1988 and 24 April 1993 on the BBC. The show was set in the house of an aristocratic fa ...

References

{{given name Feminine given names English feminine given names