Gabriel
Gabriel comes from the Hebrew "Gavriel" — "gever" (strong, man) and "El" (God) — meaning "God is my strength" or "God is my warrior." In the Hebrew Bible, Gabriel is one of the archangels — the messenger who appeared to Daniel to explain his visions. In the New Testament, Gabriel appears to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus (the Annunciation). Gabriel has been in the US top 1000 every year since 1880, with a dramatic surge in the 1990s. It entered the top 50 in 2008 and has stayed there. Gabriel García Márquez (1927-2014), the Colombian author of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" (1967) and Nobel laureate, is the most acclaimed literary bearer. I find Gabriel has an elegant, slightly biblical quality — the "G" opening is firm, and the "el" ending gives it religious weight. The nickname Gabe (as in Gabe Kapler, the baseball player) lightens it considerably. Gabriel is a male name of Hebrew origin that means "God is my strength". Elegant, biblical, and a little intense. The name sounds serious. Gabriels tend to be thoughtful. US top 50 since 2008. Well-known people named Gabriel include Gabriel (archangel), Gabriel García Márquez (author), Gabriel (Hebrew name), Gabriel (fictional, various). Common variations and related forms of Gabriel include Gavriel (Hebrew), Gabriele (Italian), Gabriel (Spanish/French), Gabe (nickname).