Gabriel
Meaning
traditionally "God is my strength," from Gavriel; the archangel of the Annunciation, honored in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam alike, at home in a dozen languages from French to Portuguese. Gabe keeps it casual
Goes by Gabe
Famously borne by Gabriel Medina, the three-time surfing world champion.
The story
Gabriel is the messenger. In Hebrew tradition the name is Gavriel, traditionally read as God is my strength, and its bearer is the archangel who announces: to Daniel in Babylon, and, in the Gospel of Luke, to Mary at the Annunciation. Islam honors him too, as Jibril, said to have delivered the Quran to Muhammad, which makes Gabriel one of a handful of names revered across three faiths at once. It moves between languages without friction, French, Spanish, and Portuguese all writing it the same way and each saying it their own. In American records it kept a quiet, constant presence for most of a century, then began climbing in the 1980s and has never once dipped, reaching its highest level yet in the 2010s and holding it through the 2020s. Gabe keeps the archangel casual.
Gabriel's name family
One shared root links 4 names across 4 languages.
Shared root: from Hebrew Gavriel "God is my strength", the annunciating archangel
The family
More branches
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Gabriel peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
Popularity in Brazil
1,211,227 people · the #12 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 168 · median age 17
Among people named Gabriel living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2000s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 94,837 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Gabriel
Most people given the name Gabriel in the United States are teenagers or young adults today.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Gabriel deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Gabriel truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Gabriel fits with your family’s names and surname.
Where Gabriel travels
Haitian · a common Haitian given name
Mexican American · a beloved biblical classic surging in recent decades
Global crossover · God is my strength (archangel); a former #1 in France, hugely popular in Brazil, and a top-30 US name
Keep exploring
Names like Gabriel · Nicknames for Gabriel · Middle names for Gabriel · Haitian baby names · Global crossover names · Portuguese and Brazilian baby names · Hebrew baby names · Filipino baby names · Filipino American baby names · Mexican American baby names
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