Boy name · Hebrew
Gabriel
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: God is my strengthGabriel is a boy's name that comes from Hebrew and means "God is my strength". It is used in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Scandinavian.
- Meaning
- God is my strength
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #37 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Gabriel
As a boy's name, Gabriel comes from Hebrew and means "God is my strength". It is used in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Scandinavian.
In French, say gah-bree-EL. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Gabriel is also a surname: the 1,302nd most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 26,489 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Gabriel on our names that mean strong list.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Gabriel on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Gabriel on 7 lists.
“God is my strength; Hebrew. The archangel of the Annunciation”
From Angelic names, archangel names for boys
“God is my strength; Hebrew. Archangel who visits Mary in Luke”
From Biblical names, biblical names for boys
“God is my strength; Hebrew. The archangel who brings messages”
From Classic boy names, classic biblical boy names
“God is my strength; Hebrew. No. 1 in France in 2025. Say gah-bree-EL”
From French boy names, popular French boys' names right now
“God is my strength; Hebrew, the archangel”
From Names that mean strong, boy names that mean strong
“God is my strength; Hebrew. The archangel of the Annunciation. Say gah-bree-EL”
From Spanish boy names, spanish boy names from the Bible
“God is my strong man; Hebrew, the archangel who brings good news”
From Strong boy names, male names that mean strong
How popular is Gabriel?
- US rank in 2025
- #37
- 6,569 babies, 3,846 per million boys
- Best rank
- #21 in 2010
- Most babies: 13,041 in 2008
- Babies since 1880
- At least 395,778
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 134 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 126 per million |
| 1900s | 172 per million |
| 1910s | 200 per million |
| 1920s | 200 per million |
| 1930s | 174 per million |
| 1940s | 137 per million |
| 1950s | 158 per million |
| 1960s | 320 per million |
| 1970s | 1,477 per million |
| 1980s | 1,751 per million |
| 1990s | 2,814 per million |
| 2000s | 6,003 per million |
| 2010s | 5,617 per million |
| 2020s | 4,004 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #25 | #31 | #35 | #37 | #38 | #38 | #36 | #38 | #43 | #37 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Gabriel
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Gabecommon English nickname
- Gabicommon English nickname
Other forms of Gabriel
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- BielGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
- GabrieleGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
- GavrielGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
- GavriilGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
- JibrilGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
- UzziahGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- MatildaStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- AngusOne strength (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- GabrielaGod is my strength (Hebrew, girl)
- GabriellaGod is my strength (Hebrew, girl)
- GertrudeSpear of strength (Germanic, girl)
- MathildeStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- MatildeStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- MaudStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- AlcidesStrength (Greek, boy)
- AudreyNoble strength (Old English, girl)
Middle names for Gabriel
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Hebrew
- AdamMan, humankind (Hebrew, boy)
- DavidBeloved one (Hebrew, boy)
- DanielGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
- NoahRest, repose (Hebrew, boy)
- EliasMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- AxelMy father is peace (Hebrew, boy)
- BenjaminSon of the right hand (Hebrew, boy)
- IsaacHe will laugh (Hebrew, boy)
- JanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- JonathanYahweh has given (Hebrew, boy)
Gabriel: common questions
What does the name Gabriel mean?
Gabriel comes from Hebrew and means "God is my strength". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Gabriel a boy or girl name?
Gabriel is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 10 girls and 6,569 boys in the US were named Gabriel, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Gabriel?
Common nicknames for Gabriel include Gabe and Gabi.
How popular is the name Gabriel?
Gabriel ranked #37 in the US in 2025, with 6,569 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Gabriel?
Forms of Gabriel with the same meaning and origin include Biel (Spanish), Gabriele (Italian), Gavriel (Hebrew), Gavriil (Russian) and Jibril (Arabic).
What middle names go with Gabriel?
Middle names that flow well with Gabriel include Cedar, Chase, Dale, Lee and Micah. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.