Boy · #38 in 2026

Gabriel

Gabriel is a given name derived from the Hebrew name Gaḇrīʾēl (גַבְרִיאֵל) meaning "God's man".

Current Rank
#38
Peak Rank
#21 (2008)
Total Babies
402K
5-Yr Trend
-17%
1910
First Year
2026
Last Year
2000
Peak Year
#782
Peak Rank
7K
Total Count
91
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Gabriel

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Gabriel is a given name derived from the Hebrew name Gaḇrīʾēl (גַבְרִיאֵל) meaning "God's man".

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Gabriel

Gabriel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 15 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2008, when 13,040 Gabriels were born — ranking #24 that year. As of 2026, Gabriel ranks #38 for baby boys with 6,342 births, falling sharply (-17%). In total, more than 402K Gabriels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Gabriel

Phonetically similar names — useful when Gabriel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Gabriel

What does the name Gabriel mean?
Gabriel is a given name derived from the Hebrew name Gaḇrīʾēl (גַבְרִיאֵל) meaning "God's man".
How popular is Gabriel in 2026?
In 2026, Gabriel ranks #38 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6,342 babies given the name that year.
When was Gabriel most popular?
Gabriel reached its peak popularity in 2008, ranking #21 that year with 13,040 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Gabriel most popular?
Gabriel has historically been most popular in Idaho, New Mexico, Alaska. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Gabriel.
Is Gabriel a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Gabriel is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Gabriel?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Gabriel include Ernest, Ralph, Christian. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Gabriel

Gabriel is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 402K births in the dataset. Gabriel's peak popularity came in 2008 when it ranked #21. Use the chart and map above to compare Gabriel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.