Every Boy Name

Boy's name

Gabriel

Say it GAY-bree-ul 3 syllables

Latin · “God is my strong man”

Loved in France and Switzerland. Common in England and Wales, Italy, Poland, and 17 more places. Rare in Israel, the Netherlands, Ireland, and 4 more places.

1 in 62 boys born in Poland in 2025. Number 19 there.

Gabriel in every place

Rank, count and share in all 40 places: loved in 2, common in 20, rare in 7.
Gabriel in every place we hold figures for
Place Rankyear Boysshare 5 years earlier
British Isles
England and Wales80 (down)20256661 in 408652020
Scotland104 (up)2025481 in 4091302020
Northern Ireland114 (down)2025201 in 4141032020
Ireland112 (up)2025491 in 4841252020
North America
Ontario (province)21 (up)2024322about 1 in 186242019
Quebec (province)27 (up)2025229about 1 in 127302020
British Columbia (province)65 (down)202345about 1 in 289492018
Nova Scotia (province)Not in the published top 212025Not listed2020
Oceania
New South Wales (state)41 (up)2025160592020
Victoria (state)74 (down)2025100702020
Queensland (state)Not in the published top 1012025932020
South Australia (state)Not in the published top 1002025942020
New ZealandNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
Western Europe
France1 (up)20254,6501 in 6522020
Netherlands248 (up)2025125about 1 in 5323132020
Central Europe
Austria28 (up)20252761 in 138412020
Switzerland3 (up)20253061 in 11872020
Berlin (city)37 (up)202370about 1 in 222662018
Munich (city)31 (up)202539about 1 in 112372020
Cologne (city)35 (up)202331about 1 in 206392018
Bonn (city)33 (up)202515about 1 in 211522020
Leipzig (city)112 (down)20255about 1 in 575912020
Rostock (city)172 (up)20251about 1 in 1,0472122020
Nordic countries
Norway44 (up)20251551 in 150562020
Sweden27 (up)2025326about 1 in 132282020
DenmarkNot in the published top 502025Not listed2020
FinlandNot in the published top 502025No list2020
IcelandNot in the published top 102025No list2020
Southern Europe
Spain30 (up)20241,039352019
Catalonia (region)29 (up)20251451 in 143492020
Italy28 (up)20241,4491 in 131312019
Central and Eastern Europe
Poland19 (up)20252,0351 in 62322020
HungaryNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
Slovenia37 (up)202551about 1 in 142992020
EstoniaNot in the published top 272025Not listed2020
Moscow (city)Not in the published top 612025Not listed2020
Croatia262025176No list2020
Middle East
TurkeyNot in the published top 302025Not listed2020
IsraelRare: below the complete list2024Not listed2019
Latin America
Argentina19 (down)20243,125152019

Germany publishes no national list; the German rows are city registers. About: the publisher leaves out its smallest names, so the share is approximate. ▲ and ▼ compare the rank with five years earlier. Not listed five years earlier: not in that year’s list. No list: the place published no list that year. How these figures are computed.

About the name

In the Bible, Gabriel is the name of the archangel. It comes from the Hebrew gaḇrīʾḗl, 'God is my strong man', joining géver, 'strong man, hero', with ʾēl, 'God'. It reached the West through Greek and Latin, and Jibril is a double of it.

2 more paragraphs

It has three syllables, GAY-bree-ul, and a gentle, flowing sound. Gabe and Gabi are the natural short forms, and related names include Gabriele, Gabor and Djibril.

Gabriel is the leading boys' name in France, sits near the top in Switzerland, and ranks well in Poland. In English-speaking countries it is more moderate, placing in the lists for Ontario, Quebec and New South Wales. French records show a peak in the mid-2010s, and it is still rising in more places than it is falling.

Meaning, origin and how to say it

Say it
GAY-bree-ul · 3 syllables · Stress on beat 1 of 3.
Meaning
“God is my strong man”
Origin
Latin, Greek, and Hebrew
Spellings counted
Counted together with Gabriel here: Gabríel.
Related names
Gabriele, Gabor, Biel, Gabrijel, Djibril, Jibril, Gabe, Gabino, Gabo, Gabi, Gabbi, Gabriell, Gavrilo, Gabrielius, Gabriels, Kaapo, Gavriil
Where Gabriel comes from (Wiktionary)

From Latin Gabriel, from Ancient Greek Γαβρῑήλ (Gabrīḗl), from Hebrew גַּבְרִיאֵל (gaḇrīʾḗl, “God is my strong man”), from גֶּבֶר (géver, “strong man, hero”) and אֵל (ʾēl, “God, deity”), from Proto-Semitic *ʾil-. Doublet of Jibril.

Shortened from the Wiktionary entry for Gabriel. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Gabriel over time

Rising in 9 of the 27 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 2. Peak in France: 2016.

Rank in England and Wales, 1996 to 2025

Gabriel in England and Wales: #176 in 1996, a peak of #61 in 2018, and #80 in 2025.

#1#10#50#100#300200020052010201520202025Top 101996: #176, 189 boys1997: #138, 261 boys1998: #123, 357 boys1999: #117, 400 boys2000: #117, 383 boys2001: #112, 399 boys2002: #99, 491 boys2003: #103, 502 boys2004: #98, 564 boys2005: #96, 611 boys2006: #98, 658 boys2007: #92, 758 boys2008: #78, 912 boys2009: #75, 886 boys2010: #78, 874 boys2011: #75, 874 boys2012: #76, 858 boys2013: #79, 818 boys2014: #78, 842 boys2015: #65, 989 boys2016: #67, 995 boys2017: #64, 967 boys2018: #61, 1,022 boys2019: #66, 923 boys2020: #65, 888 boys2021: #77, 749 boys2022: #70, 818 boys2023: #64, 863 boys2024: #74, 730 boys2025: #80, 666 boys#176 in 1996peak #61, 2018#80in 2025
Show the numbers
YearRankBoys
1996176189
1997138261
1998123357
1999117400
2000117383
2001112399
200299491
2003103502
200498564
200596611
200698658
200792758
200878912
200975886
201078874
201175874
201276858
201379818
201478842
201565989
201667995
201764967
2018611,022
201966923
202065888
202177749
202270818
202364863
202474730
202580666

Source: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3)

The long view: in France

Half of the boys named Gabriel in France since 1925 were born in or after 2008. Peak: 2016, about 1,575 per 100,000 boys. Babies per 100,000 boys, five-year periods.

1925-1929: 547 per 100,000 boys1930-1934: 489.3 per 100,000 boys1935-1939: 406.9 per 100,000 boys1940-1944: 320.1 per 100,000 boys19401945-1949: 232.6 per 100,000 boys1950-1954: 173.5 per 100,000 boys1955-1959: 127.2 per 100,000 boys1960-1964: 89.8 per 100,000 boys19601965-1969: 76.7 per 100,000 boys1970-1974: 74.5 per 100,000 boys1975-1979: 128.9 per 100,000 boys1980-1984: 152.8 per 100,000 boys19801985-1989: 168.3 per 100,000 boys1990-1994: 213.7 per 100,000 boys1995-1999: 302.7 per 100,000 boys2000-2004: 480 per 100,000 boys20002005-2009: 925.7 per 100,000 boys2010-2014: 1,263.9 per 100,000 boys2015-2019: 1,493.5 per 100,000 boys2020-2024: 1,403 per 100,000 boys20202025: 1,536.2 per 100,000 boys20252025: about 1 in 65 boys
Show the numbers
YearsPer 100,000 boys
1925–1929547
1930–1934489.3
1935–1939406.9
1940–1944320.1
1945–1949232.6
1950–1954173.5
1955–1959127.2
1960–196489.8
1965–196976.7
1970–197474.5
1975–1979128.9
1980–1984152.8
1985–1989168.3
1990–1994213.7
1995–1999302.7
2000–2004480
2005–2009925.7
2010–20141,263.9
2015–20191,493.5
2020–20241,403
20251,536.2

Source: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0). Dark bar: the period holding the median birth year.

Brothers and middle names for Gabriel

Brother names

Names that rose and fell with Gabriel, from the same generation, with no clashing sounds.

  1. 1 in 255, Scotland

  2. 1 in 79, Italy

  3. 1 in 197, England and Wales

  4. 1 in 66, Poland

  5. 1 in 192, England and Wales

  6. 1 in 424, Ireland

  7. 1 in 25, Poland

  8. 1 in 124, Ireland

  9. 1 in 204, England and Wales

  10. 1 in 224, Northern Ireland

All 40 brother names for Gabriel

Middle names

Scored for rhythm against Gabriel's 3 syllables and for long, steady use.

  1. 1 in 50, Ireland

  2. 1 in 187, England and Wales

  3. 1 in 61, Northern Ireland

  4. 1 in 118, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 105, Ireland

  6. 1 in 130, Scotland

  7. 1 in 67, England and Wales

  8. 1 in 136, Northern Ireland

Full-name check

Gabriel Jack

Syllables 3-1Initials G.J.No sound clashes between the parts.

All 40 middle names for Gabriel

Sisters for Gabriel: Julia, Eva, Zoe, and 5 more
  1. JuliaRose and fell with Gabriel · Same generation as Gabriel
  2. EvaRose and fell with Gabriel · Same generation as Gabriel
  3. ZoeRose and fell with Gabriel · Same generation as Gabriel
  4. SaraRose and fell with Gabriel · Same generation as Gabriel
  5. AnnaRose and fell with Gabriel · Same generation as Gabriel
  6. ClaraRose and fell with Gabriel · Same generation as Gabriel
  7. EmiliaRose and fell with Gabriel · Same generation as Gabriel
  8. LenaRose and fell with Gabriel · Same generation as Gabriel

Girls' names from the same engine, over the girls' lists of the same publishers.

Moved with Gabriel

The boy names whose popularity rose and fell most like Gabriel's across every region and decade we hold.

  1. Common across France, the UK, Italy, and 25 more places.

  2. Common in England and Wales, the Netherlands, Sweden, and 21 more places.

  3. Common across three Nordic countries, Quebec, Ireland, and 9 more places.

  4. Common across the UK, the Netherlands, three Nordic countries, and 17 more places.

  5. Rare across France, the UK, three Canadian provinces, and 13 more places.

  6. Common across England and Wales, three Canadian provinces, the Netherlands, and 12 more places.

  7. Loved across France, the UK, Canada, and 16 more places.

  8. Common in England and Wales, the Netherlands, Austria, and 12 more places.

Famous people named Gabriel

Gabriel García Márquez, Gabriel Lippmann, and 6 more

From Wikidata, ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions have an article on them. People: Wikidata (CC0). Links go to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists, else English.

Questions about Gabriel

How popular is Gabriel in Ontario?

Gabriel ranked #21 in Ontario in 2024, given to 322 boys, about 1 in 186.

Is Gabriel rising in popularity?

In some places: it is rising in more of them than it is falling. Rising in 9 of the 27 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 2. Rising in: New South Wales, Slovenia, Poland, Berlin, Rostock, and 4 other regions.

What does Gabriel mean?

Gabriel means “God is my strong man”, according to Wiktionary.

How many syllables does Gabriel have?

Gabriel has 3 syllables: GAY-bree-ul.

Every rank and count on this page comes from an official birth register. How these figures are computed.

Meanings, origins and people: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikidata (CC0).

The 42 birth registers behind these figures

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Kept names collect here.

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