unisex name
Chapel
CHAP-ul (English)
- Origin Latin
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 451
Chapel is a rare unisex name taken from the English word for a small place of Christian worship. The word comes from Late Latin cappella, "little cape," and recalls the cloak of Saint Martin of Tours, which was kept in a shrine of its own.
- Chapel is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 67 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 49,483 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1996.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Chapel Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 15 |
| 2000s | 43 |
| 2010s | 166 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 227 |
What Chapel Means
Chapel means a small church or private place of prayer. As a first name it suggests quiet and faith, and it works in the same way as other church-related word names such as Abbey.
Where Chapel Comes From
The word's story begins with a piece of clothing. Late Latin cappa meant a cape, and cappella was its diminutive, a little cape. Frankish kings kept the cloak of Saint Martin of Tours as a relic, and the room that housed it came to be called the cappella. The word then spread to any small sanctuary, passing through Old French chapele into Middle English by the thirteenth century. The priests who tended the relic gave us the word chaplain, and singing a cappella means singing in the chapel style. Chapel also exists as an English surname.
Chapel in Use
As a given name Chapel is recent and uncommon. American parents use it for both sexes, somewhat more often for girls.
How Popular Is Chapel?
In 2025, Chapel was given to 67 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Chapel
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Chapel Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Chapel over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Chapel
- English CHAP-ul
Sibling Names for Chapel
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Chapel — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Chapel
What does the name Chapel mean?
It's the word for a small place of worship, from Latin cappella, "little cape."
Why does chapel come from a word for cape?
The shrine holding Saint Martin's cloak was named after the relic, and the word then spread to other small sanctuaries.
Is Chapel a boy's or a girl's name?
It's used for both, somewhat more often for girls.
How popular is the name Chapel?
In 2025, Chapel was given to 67 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
How many syllables are in Chapel?
Chapel has 2 syllables.
When was Chapel most popular?
Chapel peaked in 2025, when 67 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Chapel a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Chapel currently ranks #3,465 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.