Chapel
A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type of these.
Meaning & Origin of Chapel
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type of these.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Origin & history
The Story of Chapel
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Chapel as a girl name dates back to 1996, when 5 babies received it. 2026 was its biggest year on record, with 25 newborns named Chapel — #5,118 in the national rankings. About 43% of every Chapel on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Chapel ranks #5,118 for girls with 25 births, rising sharply (+47% over the past five years). All told, over 297 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Chapel on the record books as a boy name in 2001, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 29 Chapels were born — ranking #3,814 that year. About 71% of every Chapel on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Chapel ranks #3,814 for boys with 29 births, rising sharply (+259% over the past five years). All told, over 190 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2000s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Chapel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Chapel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chapel
What does the name Chapel mean?
How popular is Chapel in 2026?
When was Chapel most popular?
In which U.S. states is Chapel most popular?
Is Chapel a unisex name?
What names go well with Chapel?
About the name Chapel
Chapel is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1996 and has accumulated 297 births in the dataset. Chapel's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #5,118. Use the chart and map above to compare Chapel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.