Gael

Gael is a modern masculine name coined from the word Gael, a term used to describe a specific ethno-linguistic group of people descended from the Celtic tribes (the others being the Picts and the Brythons). Gael comes from the ancient Gaelic word “Goídel” meaning “Irishman”. The Gaelic people and language are now primarily restricted to Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Scottish Highlands (northwestern Scotland). The Scottish-Picts are now extinct, and the Brythonic descendents are concentrated in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany today. Therefore, the Gaelic people are most commonly associated with the Irish, but the Gaelic language is also spoken in parts of Scotland and the Isle of Man. In the Welsh language (a Celtic language but a different branch than Gaelic), Gael is believed to come from Gwynhael, an ancient name meaning “blessed and generous”. The use of the name Gael for little boys appears to be inspired by Irish-pride. It’s similar to naming a son Scott (for Scotland), Brett (for Breton) and Erin (for Ireland). Gaël is also a masculine name used in France (although there remains a Celtic stronghold in the northwest of France), and Gael is used among Spanish speakers (not coincidentally, evidence of early Celtic people who were ancestors to the Gaelic people has been recovered on the Iberian Peninsula). In today’s world, only a little more than 200,000 people speak Gaelic as their native tongue (while almost two million have a “working knowledge” of the language). In the United States, about 25,000 people know Gaelic but they tend to be concentrated in areas where the Irish-American community has remained strong (Boston, Chicago, New York City and San Francisco).