Gabriel
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Meaning
traditionally "God is my strength," from Hebrew Gavriel
Goes by Gabe. See all nicknames
Famously borne by Gabriel Medina, the three-time surfing world champion.
The story
Gabriel is a familiar name across Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions. Hebrew Gavriel combines “God” with an element for a strong man or hero and is traditionally rendered “God is my strength.” In the Book of Daniel, Gabriel interprets visions about earthly kingdoms. One vision is set at Susa in Elam during the reign of the Babylonian king Belshazzar.
Luke gives Gabriel a different kind of announcement. He tells Zechariah of the coming birth of John and, at Nazareth, tells Mary of the coming birth of Jesus. Mary is troubled by his greeting, and he reassures her before giving the news. This encounter became the subject known in Christian art as the Annunciation, the announcement to Mary. Fra Filippo Lippi’s painting in London’s National Gallery places Gabriel and Mary in a richly furnished Florentine domestic setting linked to the Medici family.
Islamic tradition knows him as Jibril. The Quran credits him with bringing God’s revelation to Muhammad’s heart.
English, French, Spanish and Portuguese all use the spelling Gabriel, with different pronunciations. Jibril is a related Arabic form, and Gabe is a familiar English short form.
Gabriel's name family
One shared root links 4 names across 4 languages.
Shared root: from Hebrew Gavriel, traditionally "God is my strength"; Gabriel is the angel who announces Jesus’s birth to Mary in Luke’s Gospel
The family
More branches
How popular is Gabriel around the world?
In the United States, 41,600 babies were named Gabriel between 2020 and 2025. In Poland, 2,035 boys named Gabriel were born in 2025, the 19th most common name among boys that year.
Gabriel is on the official records of the United States, Poland, France, Brazil, Norway, Chile, Mexico City, Argentina, Austria, Puerto Rico, Montevideo, Canada, Spain, South Australia, England and Wales, Ireland, Scotland, New South Wales and New Zealand.
Gabriel crosses languages: it is in the latest top 300 of an English-speaking birth record, of a Spanish-speaking one and of Brazil’s 2022 census, which counts people of every age. The full lists: English and Spanish · English and Portuguese · Spanish and Portuguese
United States
1 in 520
In the United States, 41,600 babies were named Gabriel between 2020 and 2025.
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Gabriel peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure. Gabriel went to 10,966 US babies in 2015 and 6,579 in 2025, 60% of the earlier figure.
Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration
Poland
1 in 120
In Poland, 2,035 boys named Gabriel were born in 2025, the 19th most common name among boys that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
First names given to children born in Poland by year of birth, 2000–2025, from the PESEL population register (Ministry of Digital Affairs); exact spellings count separately (Łukasz and Lukasz are different names), names given fewer than 5 times in a year were left off the list through 2012 and fewer than 2 times from 2013, and the register also counts children born abroad, so its yearly sums run above Poland’s live births. Shares divide by the register’s own published total for the year, never by births. This registry counts each spelling separately; the figures above are for the exact spelling Gabriel, and accented spellings are separate names. Source: Ministry of Digital Affairs, PESEL register (dane.gov.pl)
France
1 in 140
In France, about 4,625 boys named Gabriel were born in 2025, the 1st most common name among boys that year.
share of that year’s births on record
Births in France by year of birth, from INSEE’s fichier des prénoms (1900–2025; Mayotte from 2012); exact spellings count separately (Léo and Leo are different names), any spelling under 3 in a year and sex is withheld at source, every count is rounded to the nearest 5 at source, and nametree keeps the spellings that reached 20 in some year. Shares divide by INSEE’s count of births in France from 1957, and before that by the file’s own total for the year; INSEE says the file is not complete before 1946. This registry counts each spelling separately; the figures above are for the exact spelling Gabriel, and accented spellings are separate names. Source: Insee, fichier des prénoms (last updated 2026-07-16)
Brazil
1 in 170
At the 2022 census, 1,211,227 people in Brazil were named Gabriel, the 12th most common name, with a median age of 17.
Among people named Gabriel living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2000s than in any other decade.
people alive at the 2022 census, by decade of birth
The census also counted 94,837 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart. People alive and resident in Brazil at the 2022 census, a living-population count, not births; names under 20 are withheld at source. Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
Norway
1 in 180register 2026
In Norway, 155 boys were given the name Gabriel in 2025.
share of the boys on the register for that year, SSB’s own figure
People who have or have had a Norwegian ID number, emigrants left out, from Statistics Norway’s name statistics (release of January 2026): by year of birth for 1945–2020 (everyone born that year who was ever registered in Norway, including people who registered later and people who have since died) and by year of naming from 2021; only first names carried by 200 or more living people are listed, counts under 4 are withheld, and SSB merges spellings that differ only by letters outside the Norwegian alphabet. The shares are SSB’s own, of the people of that sex and year in that count; the 2025 figure counts the children named that year, and no year is a count of births. Source: Statistics Norway (SSB), table 10467 (updated 2026-01-28)
Chile
1 in 190
In Chile, 947 boys were registered as Gabriel in 2021, every accent spelling counted together.
share of that year’s name registrations
First-name registrations with Chile’s civil registry by year of registration, 1920–2021, counted as spelling groups (Sofía, Sofia and Sofìa are one name, shown with its most-registered spelling); the registry withholds nothing, nametree keeps the groups that reached 5 registrations in some year, and shares divide by every registration of the year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación (Chile) via the guaguas package, first-name registrations 1920-2021
Mexico City City
1 in 200
In Mexico City, there were 577 registrations of Gabriel in 2022.
share of that year’s registrations in the city
Civil-registry acts in Mexico City by registration year. Counts are lower bounds (names under 6 in a month and borough are removed at source) and count name-instances, not people; compound names are split, so “Maria Jose” counts under each part. 2023 (19 registrations through 3 Mar) is excluded as partial. Source: Registro Civil of Mexico City, open data portal, registered given names 2000-2023
Argentina
1 in 210
In Argentina, 3,137 newborns were given the name Gabriel in 2024.
share of that year’s name registrations
Given-name components of births in Argentina 2012–2024; national cells are lower bounds and no sex split is published. Source: RENAPER (Argentina), Dirección Nacional de Población, given names 2012-2024
Austria
1 in 280
In Austria, 276 boys named Gabriel were born in 2025, the 28th most common name among boys that year, spellings that differ only by special characters counted together.
share of that year’s births on record
Live births in Austria by year of birth, 1984–2025, from Statistik Austria’s first-name statistics; spellings that differ only by special characters are counted together (umlauts stay apart), every name down to a single birth is published, and the count covers babies with Austrian citizenship only until 2009, every baby from 2010, and from 2015 also births abroad to mothers living in Austria. Shares divide by Statistik Austria’s count of live births from 2010, and before that by the file’s own total for the year. Source: Statistik Austria - data.statistik.gv.at (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1, updated 2026-07-09)
Puerto Rico
1 in 440
In Puerto Rico, 41 babies were named Gabriel in 2025, and 5,830 have carried the name since 1998.
share of that year’s births on record
First given name only, from Social Security records of births in Puerto Rico; any name-sex-year under 5 births is withheld at source. Shares divide by the Puerto Rico Demographic Registry’s count of births on the island; the 2025 count is provisional. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, territory name file (Puerto Rico)
Montevideo City
1 in 4702011
In Montevideo, 52 boys named Gabriel were born in 2011, spelling variants counted together.
share of that year’s births on record
Births in the department of Montevideo (not all of Uruguay) by first name and year of birth, 1940–2011, from the city’s civil registry, which writes names in capitals, almost always without accents; counted as spelling groups (accent and punctuation variants merged), nothing is withheld at source, and 2012 is excluded as a partial year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil, Intendencia de Montevideo, Partidas de Registro Civil de Montevideo (Licencia de Datos Abiertos - Uruguay); 2012 dropped as partial
Canada
1 in 490
In Canada, 749 boys named Gabriel were born in 2024, the 23rd most common name among boys that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
First given names from provincial and territorial vital statistics across Canada; any name-sex-year under 5 is excluded at source, and small Quebec counts carry a randomized adjustment made at source. Shares divide by Statistics Canada’s count of live births for the year; the 2024 count is preliminary. Source: Statistics Canada, first names at birth (table 17-10-0147-01)
Spain
1 in 600
In Spain, 74,511 residents are named Gabriel, the 60th most common name among men, with a mean age of 37.1 years.
In Spain, Gabriel was the 30th most common name among boys born in 2024.
Residents of Spain on 1 January 2025. Spain publishes how old a name’s living bearers are, not a birth series, so there is no year chart. Source: INE (Spain), Censo de Población anual, 1 January 2025
South Australia
1 in 6302017
In South Australia, 29 boys were registered as Gabriel in 2017.
share of that year’s name registrations
Births registered in South Australia (not all of Australia) by first name and year of registration, 1944–2017, from the state’s Births, Deaths and Marriages registry, which publishes every name down to a single birth in capitals; a spelling its export repeats inside a year is counted once, and from 2018 only a top 100 is published, so the series ends at 2017. Source: Consumer and Business Services (South Australia), popular baby names
England and Wales
1 in 880
In England and Wales, 666 boys named Gabriel were born in 2025, the 80th most common name among boys that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
Birth registrations in England and Wales (not the whole UK); exact spellings are counted separately, and any spelling under 3 in a year is withheld at source. Source: Office for National Statistics, baby names in England and Wales
Ireland
1 in 1,100
In Ireland, 49 boys named Gabriel were born in 2025, the 112th most common name among boys that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
Exact registered spellings from Irish vital statistics; any name under 3 in a year is withheld at source, and accented spellings (fadas) are recorded reliably only from 2018. Source: Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Irish babies' names
Scotland
1 in 1,200
In Scotland, 38 boys named Gabriel were registered in 2024, the 127th most common name among boys that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
Births registered in Scotland; different spellings count separately but accents are merged at source, and any spelling under 3 in total is suppressed. Source: National Records of Scotland, babies' first names
New South Wales
#41 · 2025
In New South Wales, 160 boys named Gabriel were registered in 2025, ranked 41st in that year’s top 100 for boys.
share of that year’s top-100 registrations
New South Wales (not all of Australia) publishes only each year’s 100 most popular names per sex, so a missing year means below that top 100, not rare. Source: NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, popular baby names
New Zealand
1 in 1,300
In New Zealand, 44 boys named Gabriel were registered in 2025.
share of that year’s name registrations
First given names from New Zealand birth registrations, grouped by registration year; any name under 10 in a year is excluded at source. Shares divide by Stats NZ’s count of births registered to mothers living in New Zealand, under 1% below the registry’s own count. Source: Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), baby name popularity over time
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.
Where Gabriel travels
Haitian · a common Haitian given name
Mexican American · a beloved biblical classic surging in recent decades
Global crossover · The most common name given to boys born in France in 2025.
Keep exploring
Names like Gabriel · Names that go with 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 · Climbers and fallers
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.
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