Gamaliel
Masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is my reward".
Name Census estimates that about 1,840 living Americans carry the first name Gamaliel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gamaliel today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gamaliel births was 2004 (56 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gamaliel. 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
1.8K
~ 1 in 186,280 Americans
Peak year
2004
56 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,535
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Gamaliel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gamaliel from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 485 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Gamaliel remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gamaliel 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 Gamaliel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gamaliels live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Gamaliel, while New Jersey, Arizona, Massachusetts recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 102 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Gamaliel
The name Gamaliel is derived from the Hebrew language and has its origins in ancient Jewish culture. It is a combination of two Hebrew words: "gamal" meaning "camel" and "el" meaning "God" or "deity." The name can be interpreted to mean "God is my rewarder" or "camel driver of God."
One of the earliest and most notable historical references to the name Gamaliel is found in the New Testament of the Bible. In the Acts of the Apostles, Gamaliel is mentioned as a Pharisee doctor of Jewish law who advocated for tolerance towards the early Christians. He lived in the 1st century AD and was respected for his wisdom and moderation.
The name Gamaliel also appears in the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism. It refers to Gamaliel the Elder, a prominent Jewish scholar and leader who lived during the same time as the Gamaliel mentioned in the New Testament. He is revered for his contributions to Jewish law and tradition.
In the 10th century, Gamaliel ben Pedahzur was a renowned Jewish scholar and philosopher who lived in Spain. He wrote extensively on various subjects, including mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy, and his works had a significant influence on both Jewish and Islamic thought.
During the 16th century, Gamaliel Ratner Rodkinsohn was a prominent Jewish author and scholar from Poland. He wrote extensively on Jewish law and commentaries on the Talmud, and his works were widely studied and respected among Jewish communities in Eastern Europe.
In more recent history, Gamaliel Waldo Benavides was a Peruvian philosopher and writer who lived from 1889 to 1977. He was known for his work in the fields of education, philosophy, and literature, and made significant contributions to the intellectual and cultural landscape of Peru.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Gamaliel. While the name has its roots in ancient Jewish culture, it has been embraced and used across various regions and time periods, reflecting its enduring significance and meaning.
People
Gamaliel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gamaliel 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
Gamaliel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gamaliel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,840 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gamaliel 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 186,280 US residents.
Is Gamaliel a common name?
We classify Gamaliel as "Rare". It ranks above 93.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,914 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gamaliel most popular?
The single biggest year for Gamaliel was 2004, when 56 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gamaliel is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gamaliel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gamaliel 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.