The name Gael is believed to come from the ethno-linguistic term Gael, referring to those who speak a Gaelic language. It can also be a variant of the feminine name Gale, which is derived from the Middle English word gaile and Hebrew word gil, both of which mean "joy," though it also coincides with the English word gale, referring to a very strong type of wind. Gael first appeared in the Social Security Administration's top 1,000 for boy names in 2002 and was a top-200 boy's name by 2012 before cracking the top-100 for the first time in 2023.
