Gabriela
Gabriela was the 317th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 961 babies. Its best year was 2003, when it ranked 102nd with 3,362 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 61 places. More babies were named Gabriela in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Gabriella) God is my strength (feminine of Gabriel) · Italian, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #317 girls, up 5 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 961girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20033,362 babies
- Total since 1880
- 86,553babies recorded
What does the name Gabriela mean?
Gabriela is a spelling of Gabriella, pronounced the same way, so it shares Gabriella's meaning and origin.
Gabriella is the Italian feminine form of Gabriel. Gabriel is the archangel who announces the births of John the Baptist and Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. The Hebrew name joins geber, '(strong) man', or the root g-b-r, 'strength', with El, 'God'; DMNES glosses it as 'man' plus 'God', and Wiktionary allows either reading, giving 'God is my strength' or 'man of God'. Wikipedia notes common short forms such as Gabby and Ella. Gabrielle is the French form.
גַּבְרִיאֵל (Biblical Hebrew, “Gavriel”)גֶּבֶר (Biblical Hebrew, “(strong) man”)אֵל (Biblical Hebrew, “God”)
How sure is this? Probable. 'God is my strength' and 'man of God' are both readings of the same Hebrew elements.
Related names: Gabrielle, Gabriela, Gabriel, Gabby, Ella, Brielle.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Gabriella', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Gabriel', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wikipedia, 'Gabriella (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- New Testament, Luke 1:26 (Greek text and translations via Bible Gateway), Bible Gateway
Gabriela popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 371 since 1974.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #317 | 961 |
| 2020 | #322 | 961 |
| 2010 | #148 | 2,082 |
| 2000 | #117 | 2,845 |
| 1990 | #181 | 1,605 |
| 1980 | #378 | 608 |
| 1970 | #656 | 247 |
| 1960 | #1,645 | 47 |
| 1950 | #5,572 | 5 |
| 1940 | #3,316 | 8 |
| 1930 | #4,232 | 6 |
| 1920 | #3,192 | 10 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Gabriela, counting every spelling?
Gabriela is a spelling of Gabriella, a name family that ranked #85 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #317 for Gabriela on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,506 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriella | 2,545 | #105 | 13,842 |
| Gabriela | 961 | #317 | 4,956 |
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 Gabriela?
961 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Gabriela (0.27 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Gabriela born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 9 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Gabriela.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Gabriela?
About 84,400 people born in the US named Gabriela are alive today, with a median age of 24; half are between 17 and 32. That makes Gabriela 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.
Gabriela by state
How common Gabriela was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Florida (2.3×), Nevada (2.1×), Maryland (1.9×), Connecticut (1.8×), Massachusetts (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Michigan, Ohio, Missouri.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Gabriela: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Gabriela, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Gabriela
What does Gabriela mean?
Gabriela is a spelling of Gabriella, which means “God is my strength (feminine of Gabriel)” (Italian, Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Gabriela?
Gabriela was the 317th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 961 babies. Its best year was 2003, when it ranked 102nd with 3,362 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 61 places. More babies were named Gabriela in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Gabriela a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Gabriela in the US.
Where is Gabriela most popular?
In 2021–2025, Gabriela was most common in Florida (1.41 per 1,000 girls), followed by Nevada and Maryland.