Gabriel first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Gabriel has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Gabriel

A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is my strength".

Popularity of Gabriel by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Gabriel is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 98% of people named Gabriel being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 6,745 male babies and 13 female babies born with the name Gabriel.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 13 baby girls were named Gabriel in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 6,745 13
2022 7,186 14
2021 7,266 20
2020 7,148 22
2019 7,750 43
2018 8,425 32
2017 9,167 27
2016 10,266 49
2015 10,897 53
2014 10,943 61
2013 11,241 53
2012 11,570 70
2011 12,352 85
2010 12,882 100
2009 12,830 143
2008 13,039 147
2007 12,910 164
2006 12,540 173
2005 12,758 177
2004 11,561 234
2003 12,520 182
2002 12,059 210
2001 10,917 238
2000 8,680 293
1999 7,369 281
1998 7,068 257
1997 6,404 264
1996 5,898 228
1995 5,713 230
1994 5,537 259
1993 4,374 237
1992 4,335 235
1991 4,413 240
1990 3,698 212
1989 3,036 168
1988 3,118 174
1987 3,079 163
1986 3,050 86
1985 3,215 73
1984 3,325 80
1983 3,269 77
1982 3,367 63
1981 3,374 55
1980 3,496 70
1979 3,236 58
1978 3,131 67
1977 3,346 56
1976 3,303 55
1975 2,431 43
1974 2,233 38

The history of the first name Gabriel

The name Gabriel is of Hebrew origin, derived from the biblical name "Gavri'el," which means "God is my strength." It is a combination of the Hebrew words "gever," meaning "man" or "strong," and "El," referring to God.

The name has been used for centuries, with its earliest known appearance in the Book of Daniel in the Hebrew Bible, where Gabriel is depicted as an archangel who interprets visions for the prophet Daniel. The name is also mentioned in the New Testament, where Gabriel is believed to have announced the birth of Jesus Christ to the Virgin Mary.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Gabriel was Gabriel Sionita, a 16th-century Maronite scholar and linguist born in Lebanon around 1577. He was known for his work in translating ancient texts from Arabic, Syriac, and other Semitic languages into Latin.

Another notable historical figure with the name Gabriel was Gabriel de Luetz d'Aramon, a 16th-century French diplomat and military leader who served as the ambassador of France to the Ottoman Empire from 1546 to 1553.

In the 17th century, Gabriel Naudé, born in 1600, was a French scholar and librarian who is widely regarded as the founder of modern library science. He established the Bibliothèque Mazarine, one of the first public libraries in Europe.

During the 18th century, Gabriel Fahrenheit, a German physicist and engineer born in 1686, made significant contributions to the development of the mercury thermometer and introduced the temperature scale that bears his name, the Fahrenheit scale.

In the 19th century, Gabriel Fauré, a French composer and organist born in 1845, is renowned for his works in various genres, including chamber music, piano compositions, and art songs. His Requiem and Pavane are among his most celebrated compositions.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Gabriel, demonstrating its enduring presence and cultural significance across various regions and time periods.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Gabriel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gabriel, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Gabriel first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 14, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/gabriel-meaning-and-history/.

"Gabriel first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/gabriel-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 14 December, 2024

Gabriel first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/gabriel-meaning-and-history/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.