Gabriel Boy

Popularity: #37 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: GAY-bree-uhl //ˈɡeɪ.bri.əl//

Origin: Hebrew; Latin

Meaning: Hebrew: God is my strength; Latin: messenger of God

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Gabriel has its roots in the Hebrew name גַּבְרִיאֵל (Gavri'el), which translates to "God is my strength." This name is composed of two elements: "gever," meaning "man" or "strong," and "El," referring to God. The name was adopted into Greek as Γαβριήλ (Gabriēl) and subsequently into Latin as Gabrielus, before making its way into Old French and finally into Middle English as Gabriel.

This linguistic evolution reflects the name's enduring significance across cultures and languages, particularly within religious contexts. Historically, Gabriel is recognized as one of the archangels in Judeo-Christian traditions, prominently featured in biblical texts.

In the Hebrew Bible, Gabriel appears in the Book of Daniel, where he serves as a messenger of God, providing Daniel with interpretations of his visions. In Christian tradition, Gabriel is known for announcing the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary, a pivotal moment documented in the Gospel of Luke during the 1st century CE.

The name's association with divine communication and strength has contributed to its lasting appeal. Culturally, Gabriel has been a symbol of hope and divine guidance, often associated with the role of a messenger.

The name has been borne by various saints, including Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, a 19th-century Italian saint, further embedding the name within Christian hagiography. Additionally, the diminutive form "Gabe" has emerged in various cultures, reflecting a more familiar or affectionate usage.

The name's historical and religious significance has ensured its continued resonance in various cultural contexts.

Famous people named Gabriel

In this section, you will find notable people named Gabriel. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Gabriel who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Gabriel who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a novelist best known for One Hundred Years of Solitude, Love in the Time of Cholera, and Chronicle of a Death Foretold.

Gabriel Byrne is an actor best known for The Usual Suspects, In Treatment, and Miller's Crossing.

Gabriel Iglesias is a comedian best known for The Fluffy Movie, Stand Up Revolution, and I'm Not Fat... I'm Fluffy.

Gabriel Macht is an actor best known for Suits, The Good Shepherd, and Love & Other Drugs.

Gabriel Aubry is a model best known for his work with Versace, Calvin Klein, and Tommy Hilfiger.

Gabriel Batistuta is a former footballer best known for his time at Fiorentina, Roma, and the Argentina national team.

Gabriel Jesus is a footballer best known for his time at Manchester City, Palmeiras, and the Brazil national team.

Gabriel Union is an actress best known for Bring It On, Being Mary Jane, and Bad Boys II.

Gabriel Iglesias is a voice actor best known for his role in The Nut Job, and his work in the animated series Family Guy.

Fictional characters named Gabriel

The following list of fictional characters named Gabriel is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Gabriel Gray is a fictional character from the TV series Heroes. He is a central character who possesses the ability to absorb the powers of others, leading to significant plot developments throughout the series.

Gabriel Belmont is a fictional character from the video game series Castlevania. He is the protagonist in several games, known for his quest to defeat Dracula and uncover his own past.

Gabriel Van Helsing is a fictional character from the film Van Helsing. He is a monster hunter tasked with defeating Dracula and other supernatural threats.

Gabriel Knight is a fictional character from the video game series Gabriel Knight. He is a private investigator who becomes involved in supernatural mysteries and historical conspiracies.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Gabriel, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

MichaelRaphaelSamuelDanielIsaacElijah

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Gabriel. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

GideonGabrielleGavinGalenGarethGraysonGraham

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Gabriel was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Gabriel has ranked as high as #32 nationally, which occurred in 2008, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Gabriel has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Gabriel is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Gabriel was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Gabriel.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 6,579 6,569 10
2024 6,433 6,410 23
2023 6,799 6,786 13
2022 7,273 7,257 16
2021 7,322 7,302 20
2020 7,194 7,172 22
2019 7,811 7,768 43
2018 8,471 8,439 32
2017 9,205 9,178 27
2016 10,328 10,279 49
2015 10,966 10,913 53
2014 11,022 10,961 61
2013 11,298 11,245 53
2012 11,650 11,580 70
2011 12,452 12,367 85
2010 12,991 12,891 100
2009 12,978 12,834 144
2008 13,188 13,041 147
2007 13,075 12,911 164
2006 12,716 12,543 173
2005 12,936 12,759 177
2004 11,797 11,563 234
2003 12,704 12,522 182
2002 12,269 12,059 210
2001 11,155 10,917 238
2000 8,974 8,681 293
1999 7,650 7,369 281
1998 7,325 7,068 257
1997 6,670 6,406 264
1996 6,128 5,900 228
1995 5,943 5,713 230
1994 5,798 5,539 259
1993 4,612 4,375 237
1992 4,571 4,336 235
1991 4,654 4,414 240
1990 3,911 3,699 212
1989 3,206 3,038 168
1988 3,293 3,119 174
1987 3,242 3,079 163
1986 3,132 3,046 86
1985 3,288 3,215 73
1984 3,405 3,325 80
1983 3,346 3,269 77
1982 3,426 3,363 63
1981 3,428 3,373 55
1980 3,563 3,493 70
1979 3,293 3,235 58
1978 3,194 3,126 68
1977 3,402 3,346 56
1976 3,358 3,303 55
1975 2,474 2,431 43
1974 2,270 2,232 38
1973 2,022 1,980 42
1972 1,955 1,920 35
1971 1,608 1,573 35
1970 1,281 1,244 37
1969 885 864 21
1968 747 735 12
1967 659 644 15
1966 555 547 8
1965 637 620 17
1964 633 617 16
1963 597 581 16
1962 585 573 12
1961 563 551 12
1960 438 427 11
1959 449 449 0
1958 374 362 12
1957 393 384 9
1956 345 345 0
1955 338 332 6
1954 298 291 7
1953 275 275 0
1952 262 262 0
1951 246 246 0
1950 263 258 5
1949 275 265 10
1948 216 216 0
1947 242 236 6
1946 173 173 0
1945 163 163 0
1944 194 194 0
1943 206 199 7
1942 199 194 5
1941 212 206 6
1940 193 193 0
1939 153 153 0
1938 170 170 0
1937 177 172 5
1936 202 202 0
1935 183 178 5
1934 163 163 0
1933 188 188 0
1932 184 184 0
1931 209 209 0
1930 220 220 0
1929 242 237 5
1928 255 255 0
1927 247 247 0
1926 202 202 0
1925 202 202 0
1924 241 235 6
1923 214 209 5
1922 194 194 0
1921 225 219 6
1920 206 201 5
1919 191 191 0
1918 195 190 5
1917 195 190 5
1916 179 174 5
1915 180 173 7
1914 131 131 0
1913 119 114 5
1912 93 84 9
1911 47 47 0
1910 46 41 5
1909 39 39 0
1908 34 34 0
1907 21 21 0
1906 16 16 0
1905 29 29 0
1904 14 14 0
1903 18 18 0
1902 23 23 0
1901 21 21 0
1900 19 19 0
1899 12 12 0
1898 17 17 0
1897 10 10 0
1896 18 18 0
1895 14 14 0
1894 22 22 0
1893 16 16 0
1892 10 10 0
1891 10 10 0
1890 15 15 0
1889 9 9 0
1888 13 13 0
1887 18 18 0
1886 13 13 0
1885 11 11 0
1884 21 21 0
1883 10 10 0
1882 20 20 0
1881 17 17 0
1880 15 15 0

Top States for Gabriel (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 755
12%
CA 754
12%
FL 500
8%
NY 377
6%
IL 230
4%
PA 211
3%
GA 203
3%
NC 203
3%
OH 194
3%
NJ 190
3%
VA 181
3%
MI 180
3%
AZ 159
2%
MA 146
2%
WA 140
2%
IN 124
2%
CO 121
2%
TN 119
2%
MO 109
2%
MD 107
2%
KY 96
2%
SC 92
1%
OK 90
1%
WI 83
1%
MN 77
1%
AL 76
1%
LA 69
1%
UT 69
1%
CT 68
1%
KS 63
1%
NV 56
1%
OR 53
1%
AR 51
1%
NM 49
1%
NE 40
1%
IA 39
1%
MS 38
1%
RI 33
1%
ID 30
0%
AK 26
0%
DC 23
0%
WV 23
0%
ME 21
0%
DE 21
0%
NH 20
0%
SD 19
0%
ND 13
0%
HI 13
0%
MT 12
0%
VT 7
0%
WY 6
0%