Idel
A feminine Russian diminutive form of the name Ida, derived from the Germanic word 'id' meaning labor or work.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Idel. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 75.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Idel today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Idel births was 1916 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Idel. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Idel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1916
8 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2008 SSA rank
#5,461
Tracked since 1916
Gender
Gender distribution for Idel
Idel is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 24 total registrations, 6 (25.0%) were male and 18 (75.0%) were female.
Idel as a male name
- Ranked #11,592 in 2008
- 6 male births in 2008
- Peak: 2008 (6 births)
Idel as a female name
- Ranked #5,461 in 1921
- 5 female births in 1921
- Peak: 1916 (8 births)
Popularity
Idel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Idel from the 1910s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 13 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Idel remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Idel 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 Idel 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 Idel
The name Idel is believed to have originated from the Hebrew language, derived from the word "idel," which means "divine" or "great." Its roots can be traced back to ancient Semitic cultures in the Middle East, where it was likely used as a personal name to reflect divine or spiritual qualities.
The earliest recorded use of the name Idel can be found in biblical texts and ancient Hebrew scriptures, although the exact references are somewhat obscure. It is possible that the name was associated with various religious or spiritual figures in early Judaic traditions.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Idel was Idel ben Gabirol, a renowned Jewish philosopher and poet from the 11th century in Spain. Born in 1021 in Malaga, Idel ben Gabirol made significant contributions to the fields of Jewish philosophy and literature, and his works, such as "The Fountain of Life," have been widely studied and translated.
Another notable figure with the name Idel was Idel Izhaki, a 12th-century French rabbi and biblical commentator. Izhaki was born in Troyes, France, and is best known for his comprehensive commentaries on the Torah, which have been influential in Jewish scholarship and study.
In the 16th century, Idel Akiba ben Joseph Bacharach was a prominent rabbi and Talmudic scholar from Poland. Born in 1579 in Cracow, he authored several influential works on Jewish law and ethics, including "Chavot Yair" and "Shaarei Teshuvah."
Moving forward in history, Idel Dreyfus was a French military officer who was wrongfully accused of treason in the infamous Dreyfus Affair of the late 19th century. Born in 1859 in Mulhouse, Alsace, Dreyfus's unjust conviction and subsequent exoneration sparked public debates about antisemitism and human rights in France.
Lastly, Idel Montor was a 20th-century Israeli artist and sculptor, known for his abstract and modernist works. Born in 1905 in Bialystok, Poland, Montor's sculptures and public art installations can be found throughout Israel and other countries, showcasing his unique artistic vision and creative expression.
While not an exhaustive list, these individuals exemplify the rich historical and cultural significance associated with the name Idel, spanning various fields and time periods across different regions.
People
Idel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Idel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Idel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Idel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Idel 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Idel a common name?
We classify Idel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 24 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Idel most popular?
The single biggest year for Idel was 1916, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Idel is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Idel a female name?
Yes, 75.0% of people registered as Idel 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.
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.