Sable
A name of French origin meaning "black fur or pelt".
Name Census estimates that about 1,567 living Americans carry the first name Sable. It is a predominantly female name (99.4% of registrations). The average person named Sable today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sable births was 1986 (181 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sable. 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
1.6K
~ 1 in 218,733 Americans
Peak year
1986
181 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,986
Tracked since 1923
Gender
Gender distribution for Sable
Out of the 1,647 babies given the name Sable since 1880, 99.4% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Sable as a male name
- Ranked #13,815 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (5 births)
Sable as a female name
- Ranked #4,986 in 2024
- 27 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1986 (181 births)
Popularity
Sable: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sable from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 560 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sable 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 Sable during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sables live
The SSA's state-level files cover 16 states and territories. Texas, California, New York recorded the most babies named Sable, while New Jersey, Indiana, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 31 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sable
The name Sable has its origins in the French language, derived from the word "sable," meaning "sand" or "black fur." This name gained popularity in the Middle Ages, particularly in France and surrounding regions.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Sable can be found in the 12th-century French epic poem "The Song of Roland." In this work, Sable was mentioned as the name of a Saracen warrior, indicating its usage during that time period.
Throughout history, the name Sable has been associated with various individuals of note. One prominent figure was Sable d'Anville (1109-1192), a French noblewoman and landowner who played a significant role in the Crusades. Her name was often recorded in chronicles and historical accounts of the time.
Another individual bearing this name was Sable de Montfort (1235-1292), a French soldier and military commander who fought in the Seventh Crusade. He was known for his bravery and strategic skills on the battlefield.
In the realm of literature, Sable Marillac (1560-1618) was a French poet and writer who gained recognition for her poetic works during the Renaissance period.
Moving forward in time, Sable Delauney (1789-1853) was a French artist and painter who became renowned for her portraits and landscape paintings in the early 19th century.
Lastly, Sable Duchamp (1887-1968) was a French artist and sculptor who played a pivotal role in the development of the Dada and Surrealist movements. His innovative and unconventional works challenged traditional artistic norms and significantly influenced modern art.
These are just a few examples of the individuals who have borne the name Sable throughout history, highlighting its enduring presence across various fields and time periods.
People
Sable + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sable as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sable: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sable?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,567 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sable 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 218,733 US residents.
Is Sable a common name?
We classify Sable as "Rare". It ranks above 92.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,647 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sable most popular?
The single biggest year for Sable was 1986, when 181 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sable is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sable a female name?
Yes, 99.4% of people registered as Sable 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.