Origin: Hebrew גַבְרִיאֵל  Γαβριηλ
Meaning: “strong man of God.”
Eng (GABE-ree-el); (gah-bree-EL-ah); Fre (gah-bree-EL); Germ (GAHP-ree-el); Pol (GAHP-ryel)

The name is derived from the Biblical Hebrew, גַבְרִיאֵל (Gavri-el) meaning, “strong man of God.”

In Judeo-Christian religions, it is the name of a powerful archangel, who is often viewed as a messenger of God. He appears several times in the Old and New Testaments.

Among Christians, one of his most important messages was relayed to the Virgin Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus. Islamic tradition also believes the same, and in Islam, it was the angel Gabriel who revealed the Qu’ran, (through God), to Mohammed.

In Mormon theology, Gabriel is believed to be the embodiment of Noah in the afterlife.

Gabriel is a fairly common name among Christians, Jews and Muslims, making him an extremely cross-cultural portable name.

Currently, in the United States, his popularity has been rising. He is the 24th most popular male name, (2011). In other countries, his rankings in all his various forms are as follows:

• # 2 (Gabriel(e), Liechtenstein, 2010)
• # 3 (Brazil, 2011)
• # 4 (Romania, 2009)
• # 6 (Gabriele, Italy, 2009)
• # 7 (France, 2010)
• # 9 (Quebec, Canada, 2011)
• # 19 (Croatia, 2009)
• # 26 (Belgium, 2008)
• # 28 (Canada, BC, 2010)
• # 28 (Mexico, 2010)
• # 29 (Austria, 2010)
• # 35 (Spain, 2010)
• # 40 (Poland, 2009)
• # 47 (Sweden, 2011)
• # 48 (Norway, 2011)
• # 52 (Catalonia, 2010)
• # 78 (England/Wales, 2010)
• # 95 (Australia, NSW, 2011)
• # 124 (Scotland, 2010)
• # 189 (Djibril, France, 2010)
• # 313 (Jibril, France, 2010)

Other forms of the name include:

• Jibrail/Jibrīl جبرائيل ጂብሪል (Arabic/Ethiopian)
• Gabriel გაბრიელი ገብርኤል
  (Armenian/Catalan/Coptic/Czech/Danish/English/Ethiopian/Finnish/French/Georgian/German/Norwegian/Polish/Portuguese/Romanian/Romansch/Spanish/Swedish)
• Gavrik (Armenian)
• Cəbrayıl/Cibril (Azeri)
• Gawryil Гаўрыіл (Belarusian)
• Džibril/Džebrail (Bosnian)
• Gavrail Гавраил (Bulgarian)
• Zheberejil Жәбірейіл (Central Asian)
• Gabrijel (Croatian/Maltese/Serbian)
• Gabriël (Dutch)
• Gaabriel (Estonian)
• Gabrel (Ethiopian)
• Kaapo/Kaapro (Finnish)
• Gabriél Γαβριήλ (Greek)
• Gavril Γαβριηλ (Greek)
• Gavriel גַּבְרִיאֵל (Hebrew)
• Gábriel (Hungarian)
• Gábor (Hungarian)
• Gabríel (Icelandic)
• Jibril (Indonesian)
• Gaibriéil (Irish-Gaelic)
• Gabo/Gabbo (Italian)
• Gabriele (Italian: more common form)
• Gabriellino (Italian)
• Gabriello (Italian)
• Gabrio (Italian)
• Cibrayîl (Kurdish)
• Gabrielus (Latin)
• Gabriels (Latvian)
• Gabrielius (Lithuanian)
• Jibrail (Malaysian)
• Gavriilu Гаврїилъ (Old Church Slavonic)
• Khabbriele (Puglian)
• Gabin (Provençal)
• Gavril Гавриил (Romanian/Russian)
• Crabiele/Gabilele/Gabriello (Sardinian)
• Cabbrieli (Sicilian)
• Gabri’el ܠܒܪܝܐܝܠ (Syrian)
• Gebrael (Syrian)
• Cebrâîl (Turkish)
• Gavrel גַאבְֿרֶעל (Yiddish)

English short form is Gabe.

Its feminine form of Gabriella/Gabriela is also rising in popularity. Currently, Gabriella is the 34th most popular female name in the United States, (2011). Her rankings in other countries are as follows:

• # 3 (Gabriela, Bulgaria, 2009)
• # 5 (Gabrielė, Lithuania, 2011)
• # 5 (Gabrielle, Philippines, 2011)
• # 7 (Gabriela, Columbia, 2011)
• # 8 (Gabriela, Romania, 2009)
• # 9 (Gabriela, Puerto Rico, 2011)
• # 10 (Gabriela, Brazil, 2010)
• # 13 (Gabriela, Poland, Warsaw, 2010)
• # 19 (Gabriela, Poland, 2009)
• # 28 (Gabrijela, Croatia, 2009)
• # 30 (Gabriela, Mexico, 2010)
• # 30 (Gabrielly, Brazil, 2010)
• # 36 (Gabriela, Croatia, 2009)
• # 38 (Gabriela, Chile, 2010)
• # 64 (Australia, NSW, 2011)
• # 64 (Gabriela, Spain, 2010)
• # 67 (Gabrielle, France, 2010)
• # 72 (Canada, BC, 2010)
• # 94 (Gabrielle, Canada, BC, 2010)
• # 119 (Gabrielle, United States, 2011)
• # 466 (France, 2010)

Other feminine forms include:

• Gebre’elwa ገብርኤሏ (Amharic/Ethiopian)
• Gabriela (Bulgarian/Croatian/Czech/German/Polish/Portuguese/Romanian/Scandinavian/Slovak/Spanish)
• Brielle (Cajun: abbreviated form of Gabrielle)
• Gabrijela (Croatian/Serbian)
• Gabriëlle (Dutch)
• Briella/Briela (English)
• Gabrielle (French/English)
• Gabria (Italian)
• Gabrielina (Italian)
• Gabriella (Italian/English/Hungarian/Scandinavian: more common form in Italy)
• Gabrielė (Lithuanian)
• Gavriila Гавриила (Russian)

Czech diminutives are: Gába, Gabika, Gábina, Gabrina and Gabby.

A Polish diminutive is Gabrysia (gah-BRIH-shah).

English short forms are: Gabby and Ella.

Designated name-days are: February 10/27 (Poland), February 19 (Sweden), March 24 (Czech/Finland/Poland/Slovakia/Sweden), September 29 (France/Germany), December 12 (Hungary)