Gamal
A masculine Arabic name meaning "camel driver" or "bearer of good fortune".
Name Census estimates that about 462 living Americans carry the first name Gamal. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gamal today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gamal births was 1976 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gamal. 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.
People living today
462
~ 1 in 741,893 Americans
Peak year
1976
18 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2023 SSA rank
#10,074
Tracked since 1957
Popularity
Gamal: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gamal from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 114 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Gamal remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gamal 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 Gamal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gamals live
Origin
Meaning and history of Gamal
The name Gamal has its origins in the Arabic language, derived from the word "jamal," which means "beauty" or "camel." It is a masculine given name that has been in use for centuries within the Arab and Islamic cultures.
In the 7th century, during the early days of Islam, the name gained prominence as it was borne by one of the companions of Prophet Muhammad, known as Gamal ibn Thabit. He was a renowned poet and served as a scribe for the Prophet, contributing to the compilation of the Quran.
The name Gamal has also been associated with various historical figures throughout the ages. One notable bearer was Gamal al-Din al-Afghani, an influential Islamic reformist and political activist who lived in the 19th century (1838-1897). He played a significant role in promoting pan-Islamic unity and resistance against Western imperialism.
Another prominent figure was Gamal Abdel Nasser, the second President of Egypt, who ruled from 1956 to 1970. He was a charismatic leader and a key figure in the Arab nationalist movement, known for his role in the 1952 Egyptian Revolution and the nationalization of the Suez Canal.
In the literary world, Gamal al-Ghitani (1945-2015) was an acclaimed Egyptian novelist and writer, renowned for his innovative storytelling techniques and exploration of Egyptian identity and history.
Moving to the realm of sports, Gamal Abdel Rahim was an Egyptian weightlifter who competed in the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics, winning a gold medal in the featherweight class in 1948.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Gamal throughout history, reflecting its enduring presence and cultural significance within the Arab and Islamic worlds.
People
Gamal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gamal as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gamal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gamal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 462 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gamal 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 741,893 US residents.
Is Gamal a common name?
We classify Gamal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 491 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gamal most popular?
The single biggest year for Gamal was 1976, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gamal is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gamal a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gamal in the SSA data are male. 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.
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.