Meaning and history
This name comes from the Hebrew גַבְרִיאֵל (Ḡavriʾel), meaning “God is my strong man,” from גֶּבֶר (gever) meaning “strong man, hero” and אֵל (ʾel) meaning “God.” Gabriel is an archangel in Hebrew tradition and is often portrayed as God’s messenger; in the Old Testament he explains the visions of Daniel, in the New Testament he announces the births of John to Zechariah and Jesus to Mary, and in Islamic tradition he is the angel who dictated the Quran to Muhammad. The name has been used in England since the 12th century but did not become common in the English-speaking world until the late 20th century.
20062006: 12,543 births, rank #28
2007: 12,911 births, rank #28
2008: 13,041 births, rank #24
2009: 12,834 births, rank #22
2010: 12,891 births, rank #21
20112011: 12,367 births, rank #24
2012: 11,580 births, rank #24
2013: 11,245 births, rank #24
2014: 10,961 births, rank #24
2015: 10,913 births, rank #22
20162016: 10,279 births, rank #25
2017: 9,178 births, rank #31
2018: 8,439 births, rank #35
2019: 7,768 births, rank #37
2020: 7,172 births, rank #38
20212021: 7,302 births, rank #38
2022: 7,257 births, rank #36
2023: 6,786 births, rank #38
2024: 6,410 births, rank #43
20252025: 6,569 births, rank #37
Gabriel has made a dramatic comeback. After first appearing in the US records in 1880, it fell to #707 by 1892, before climbing to #37 in 2025. Its highest annual birth count came in 2008, with 13,041 births.