Gobel
A masculine German name derived from the word "Kobold", referring to a goblin-like household spirit.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Gobel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gobel today is around 90 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gobel births was 1933 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gobel. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Gobel is about 90 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Gobels were born before 1946.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gobel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1933
7 babies that year
Average age
90
years old
1938 SSA rank
#3,728
Tracked since 1900
Popularity
Gobel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gobel from the 1900s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 19 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
Gobel 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 Gobel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gobels live
Origin
Meaning and history of Gobel
The given name Gobel has its origins in the Germanic languages, derived from the Old High German word "gotabald," which means "bold with God." This name emerged during the medieval period, primarily in regions where Germanic tribes settled, including present-day Germany, Austria, and parts of central Europe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gobel can be traced back to the 8th century, when a nobleman named Gobel von Rheinfelden was mentioned in historical chronicles of the Carolingian Empire. This suggests that the name was in use among the nobility and upper classes during that time.
In the 12th century, a prominent figure named Gobel von Regensburg, a Benedictine monk and scholar, gained recognition for his writings on theology and philosophy. His works were widely circulated and studied in monastic circles, further popularizing the name within religious contexts.
During the Renaissance period, a notable individual named Gobel Brandt (1460-1535) rose to prominence as a German painter and engraver. His intricate woodcuts and engravings depicting religious scenes and portraits were highly regarded and influenced the artistic styles of the time.
In the 17th century, a Dutch-born philosopher and mathematician named Gobel Gorlaeus (1590-1666) made significant contributions to the fields of physics and metaphysics. His works on the nature of motion and the principles of mechanics were widely studied and debated by scholars across Europe.
Another prominent figure bearing the name Gobel was Johann Gobel (1717-1799), a German composer and organist who served as the kapellmeister (music director) at the court of Prince-Bishop Adam Friedrich von Seinsheim in Würzburg. His compositions, particularly his sacred works and organ pieces, were highly regarded during his lifetime.
People
Gobel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gobel 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
Gobel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gobel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gobel 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Gobel a common name?
We classify Gobel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 40 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gobel most popular?
The single biggest year for Gobel was 1933, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gobel is about 90 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gobel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gobel 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.