Fable
A literary narrative of mythic characters, often carrying a moral.
Name Census estimates that about 281 living Americans carry the first name Fable. It is a predominantly female name (92.2% of registrations). The average person named Fable today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fable births was 2024 (41 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Fable. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Fable with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
281
~ 1 in 1,219,766 Americans
Peak year
2024
41 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2023 SSA rank
#3,708
Tracked since 2008
Gender
Gender distribution for Fable
Fable leans heavily female at 92.2% of total registrations, but 22 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Fable as a male name
- Ranked #12,809 in 2023
- 5 male births in 2023
- Peak: 2021 (7 births)
Fable as a female name
- Ranked #3,708 in 2024
- 41 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (41 births)
Popularity
Fable: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Fable from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 146 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Fable by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Fable during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Fable
The given name Fable has its origins in Latin, deriving from the word "fabula" which translates to "story" or "tale". This name gained popularity during the Medieval period, particularly in areas of Europe where Latin was widely spoken and studied.
In ancient Roman times, the word "fabula" was commonly used to refer to fictional stories, often with moral lessons or allegorical meanings. As such, the name Fable could have been associated with storytellers, poets, or those with a penchant for spinning tales.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fable can be found in the works of the Roman philosopher and playwright Seneca the Younger, who lived from approximately 4 BC to 65 AD. He wrote several "fabulae" or plays, some of which have survived to this day.
In the Middle Ages, the name Fable gained further recognition through the literary works of the French poet and fabulist, Marie de France. Born around 1160, she is renowned for her collection of fables and lais, which were short narrative poems often featuring animals as characters with human traits.
During the Renaissance period, the Italian writer and philosopher Giovanni Battista Giraldi, also known as Gian Battista Giraldi Cinthio (1504-1573), published a collection of stories entitled "Hecatommithi" or "Hundred Fables". This work is believed to have influenced other notable writers such as William Shakespeare.
In the 17th century, the French fabulist Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695) achieved immense popularity for his collection of fables, known as "Fables de La Fontaine". These stories, which often featured anthropomorphized animals as characters, were widely read and appreciated for their wit and moral lessons.
Another notable figure with the name Fable was the English writer and critic John Fable (1660-1721), who is best known for his work on literary criticism and his translations of ancient Greek and Latin texts.
While the name Fable may not be as common today, it has a rich literary and cultural history, reflecting a connection to storytelling, imagination, and the art of conveying moral lessons through fables and tales.
People
Fable + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Fable as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Fable: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fable?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 281 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fable going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,219,766 US residents.
Is Fable a common name?
We classify Fable as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 283 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Fable most popular?
The single biggest year for Fable was 2024, when 41 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fable is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Fable in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Fable a female name?
Yes, 92.2% of people registered as Fable in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Fable still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Fable in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Fable can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Fable?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.