Gabriel
Gabriel was the 37th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 6,569 babies. Its best year was 2010, when it ranked 21st; the most babies were born in 2008 (13,041). Over the last ten years it has moved down 15 places. More babies were named Gabriel in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning 'God is my strength / man of God' · Hebrew
Say it GAY-bree-ul /ˈɡeɪbriəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #37 boys, up 1 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 6,569boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 200813,041 babies
- Total since 1880
- 402,627babies recorded
What does the name Gabriel mean?
Gabriel is the name of a biblical archangel. DMNES analyses it as Hebrew gever, 'man' or 'strong man', plus el, 'God'. Christian use made it a given name across Europe; DMNES has English examples from the 16th century.
גֶּבֶר (Biblical Hebrew, “man, strong man”)אֵל (Biblical Hebrew, “God”)
How sure is this? Probable. 'Strength' and 'man' readings of the first element are both used; DMNES gives 'man'.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Nicknames for Gabriel
The usual nicknames for Gabriel are Gabe. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Gabriel in the last five years, fewer than 1 were named Gabe, against fewer than 1 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gabe | Traditional | #4,591 | 165 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Gabriels go by each one.
Gabriel popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 6,849 since 1910, 10 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #37 | 6,569 |
| 2020 | #38 | 7,172 |
| 2010 | #21 | 12,891 |
| 2000 | #44 | 8,681 |
| 1990 | #100 | 3,699 |
| 1980 | #85 | 3,493 |
| 1970 | #205 | 1,244 |
| 1960 | #382 | 427 |
| 1950 | #418 | 258 |
| 1940 | #420 | 193 |
| 1930 | #385 | 220 |
| 1920 | #420 | 201 |
| 1910 | #425 | 41 |
| 1900 | #564 | 19 |
| 1890 | #496 | 15 |
| 1880 | #472 | 15 |
How popular is Gabriel, counting every spelling?
Gabriel is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #42 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #37 for Gabriel on its own. Together these spellings went to 6,575 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriel | 6,569 | #37 | 34,324 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Gabriel?
6,569 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Gabriel (1.82 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Gabriel born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 29. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Gabriel.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Gabriel?
About 377,500 people born in the US named Gabriel are alive today, with a median age of 20; half are between 12 and 29. That makes Gabriel mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Gabriel by state
How common Gabriel was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Alaska (1.9×), Rhode Island (1.9×), New Mexico (1.9×), District of Columbia (1.8×), Delaware (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Vermont, Wyoming, Utah.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Gabriel: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Gabriel, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Gabriel · Sibling names for Gabriel
Questions about the name Gabriel
What does Gabriel mean?
Gabriel means “'God is my strength / man of God'” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Gabriel?
Gabriel was the 37th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 6,569 babies. Its best year was 2010, when it ranked 21st; the most babies were born in 2008 (13,041). Over the last ten years it has moved down 15 places. More babies were named Gabriel in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Gabriel a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Gabriel in the US.
Where is Gabriel most popular?
In 2021–2025, Gabriel was most common in Alaska (7.56 per 1,000 boys), followed by Rhode Island and New Mexico.