Gayle (given name)
| Gender | Unisex |
|---|---|
| Language(s) | Hebrew Anglo-Saxon |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | Happy God; Father in rejoicing; a father's joy |
| Other names | |
| Variant form(s) | Gail Gale[1] |
| Derived | Abigail |
Gayle (/ˈɡeɪl/ GAYL) is a variant spelling of Gail, a short form of the name Abigail.[1]
Abigail is a feminine English name with Hebrew origins, meaning "my father is joy." In the Old Testament Abigail was King David's third wife, described as 'good in discretion and beautiful in form.[2] It is used in modern English and was a popular baby's name during the 1950s and '60s.[1]
Gayle may occasionally be used as a masculine name.
Under popular names it was ranked #4902 most common last name in the 1990 census.[3]
People with the given name Gayle
- Gayle King (born 1954), American television personality and journalist
- Gayle McCormick (1948–2016), American singer, member of the band Smith
- Gayle Salters (born 1962), Just a girl, living her dreams.
References
- ^ a b c A Dictionary of First Names, Patrick Hanks & Flavia Hodges, Oxford University Press, 1990, ISBN 0-19-211651-7.
- ^ King James Bible.
- ^ Name Statistics web site.