Find out how popular the last name Gabriel is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gabriel.

Gabriel, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gabriel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gabriel in America

Gabriel is the 1327th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gabriel surname appeared 26,578 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Gabriel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gabriel to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gabriel

The surname GABRIEL originated in Spain and Portugal, derived from the Hebrew personal name "Gavri'el" meaning "man of God" or "God is my strength." It gained popularity in these regions during the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname GABRIEL can be traced back to the 12th century, appearing in various Spanish and Portuguese manuscripts, including the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript from the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The name was also found in the Libro de las Behetrías, a 14th-century census of landowners in the Crown of Castile.

In the 15th century, GABRIEL became a more widespread surname, particularly in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura in Spain, as well as in parts of Portugal. The surname was often associated with families of Jewish or converso (converted from Judaism) descent, reflecting the influence of Hebrew names in these communities.

Notable historical figures with the surname GABRIEL include Pedro Gabriel, a 16th-century Spanish painter known for his work in the Cathedral of Seville, and Antonio Gabriel, a 17th-century Portuguese composer and organist who served at the Convent of Santa Cruz in Coimbra.

In the 18th century, the surname GABRIEL appeared in various historical records in Spain and Portugal, such as the Catastro de Ensenada, a census of land and property carried out in the Crown of Castile between 1749 and 1756. The name was also present in the baptismal records of several parishes across the Iberian Peninsula.

Other notable individuals with the surname GABRIEL include Juan Gabriel Valdés (1509-1541), a Spanish writer and philosopher who advocated for religious tolerance, and Miguel Gabriel Sarriá (1781-1863), a Spanish architect and engineer known for his work on the Puente Nuevo bridge in Ronda, Spain.

Throughout its history, the surname GABRIEL has maintained its connection to its Hebrew roots, reflecting the diverse cultural influences that have shaped the Iberian Peninsula over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gabriel

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gabriel.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gabriel was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gabriel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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.

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