The first name Gabriel
A boy’s name from Latin meaning “[strong] man”, “strength”, “manliness”.
Pronounced /ˈɡeɪ.bɹi.əl/ 3 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Gabriel means “[strong] man”, “strength”, “manliness” in Latin.
From Latin Gabriel, from Koine Greek Γαβρῑήλ (Gabrīḗl), from Biblical Hebrew גַּבְרִיאֵל (gaḇrīʾḗl), from גֶּבֶר (géḇer, “[strong] man”) or the triliteral root ג־ב־ר (g-b-r, “strength, manliness”), ־י (-i, “me, my, -'s”), and אֵל (ʾēl, “God, god”), from Proto-Semitic *ʾil-. Doublet of Jibril.
More names that mean god, strong.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 666 boys were named Gabriel, making it the 80th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2018, with 1,022 births (#61).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Gabriel with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Gabriel at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 6,569 boys born in the United States were named Gabriel, the 37th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2008, when 13,041 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Gabriel in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Gabriel in Czech, Danish, French, German, Latin, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Gabriel
349 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Gabriel García MárquezColombian writer and Nobel laureate (1927–2014)
- Dante Gabriel RossettiEnglish poet, illustrator, painter, and translator (1828-1882)
- Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de MirabeauFrench writer, orator and statesman (1749-1791)
- Gabriel BatistutaArgentine association football player, born 1969
- Gabriel FauréFrench composer, organist, pianist and teacher (1845–1924)
- Gabriel MarcelFrench philosopher, playwright, music critic and leading Christian existentialist (1889-19
- Gabriel JesusBrazilian association football player, born 1997
- Gabriel MartinelliBrazilian footballer (born 2001)
- Gabriel HeinzeArgentine association football player, born 1978
- Gabriel MilitoArgentine association football player, born 1980
- Gabriel MachtAmerican actor (born 1972)
- Gabriel MagalhãesBrazilian footballer (born 1997)
More Latin boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Gabriel mean?
- Gabriel means “[strong] man”, “strength”, “manliness” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name Gabriel?
- From Latin Gabriel, from Koine Greek Γαβρῑήλ (Gabrīḗl), from Biblical Hebrew גַּבְרִיאֵל (gaḇrīʾḗl), from גֶּבֶר (géḇer, “[strong] man”) or the triliteral root ג־ב־ר (g-b-r, “strength, manliness”), ־י (-i, “me, my, -'s”), and אֵל (ʾēl, “God, god”), from Proto-Semitic *ʾil-. Doublet of Jibril.
- How popular is the name Gabriel?
- In 2025, 666 boys born in England and Wales were named Gabriel, ranking 80th. Its peak was 2018, with 1,022 births.
- What are nicknames for Gabriel?
- Common nicknames for Gabriel include Gabe, Gab.
- Is Gabriel a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 98% of the 402,627 US babies named Gabriel since 1880 were boys.
- When was Gabriel most popular?
- 2008 in the United States, when 13,041 babies were named Gabriel, its highest rank at 24th.
- How do you pronounce Gabriel?
- Gabriel is /ˈɡeɪ.bɹi.əl/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Gabriel?
- Gabby and Gabriela.
- Is Gabriel also a surname?
- Yes. Gabriel is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.