Gabriel

I knew a girl with this name once. Not the feminine version, literally just Gabriel.

What a nice, strong, solid, handsome biblical masculine name I know so far other than biblical names like Nathaniel, Aaron, Abraham, Adam Abel, Benjamin etc... not to mention it also comes with cool nicknames like Gabe. All Gabriel's I know so far prefer to be called Gabe as short version like Rob, Robbie, Bobby as Robert, Bill, Billy as William etc. I don't have any issues of this particular name even with flowery surnames so and so. This name also has great meaning as God is My Strength...

I think Gabriel is a gorgeous name. I love everything about it: the powerful meaning, the strong Hebrew charm, the honorable biblical association, and the lovable nickname Gabe. It is a timeless name that ages flawlessly. Overall, I think Gabriel is a wonderful name.

This is my grandson's name. I was taken aback at first when my son told me the choice that he and my daughter in law made when selecting the name, Gabriel. Now, a few short years later, I couldn't think of a nicer name for him.

This was my old name before I changed it, I'm a woman, my parents thought it would be great (roll eyes) to have a girl named Gabriel. Needless to say that didn't work out well for me because any sub-teacher, that didn't know who I was, always mistook me for a boy. Long story short, when I turned eighteen a year ago, I legally changed my name and waved goodbye to my, now, "dead name".

Yesss such a handsome and nice name!

I love this name, it seriously reminds me of a handsome man with impeccable manners! Love this name! Yes, Yes, Yess.

Gabriel has always been a favorite name of mine for as far back as I can remember. I used this as my name for confirmation a few short years ago. A good solid name.

Wonderful name! I like it because you can add the nickname "Gabe" to it for short.

The most handsome and extremely distinguished name I've ever heard in my life! Yes!

I live in France and work at an English private school for elementary students near Paris. I must say that it is quite strange how this name shot up in popularity for parents when selecting a name for their sons. At this point, I have encountered eight students over the course of two years who share the same first name of Gabriel. Don't get me wrong, I think the name is fine. I just wish parents would take a break and find some other name instead of Gabriel.

Handsomest name I’ve ever heard, with a lovely meaning. Certainly not disgusting!

Ugliest name ever heard, seriously, even worse than Daniel!

I have a cousin named Gabriel. He is very nice, adventurous, and has this energy that really gets me wondering, "Where does he get it from?!" Anyway, I think Gabriel is fine, if not, a bit too common for my taste. :)

Honestly, there is nothing, “atrocious” about Gabriel. It is a handsome name with a significant meaning and will continue to remain timeless. The toxicity of certain comments below will not be, however.

I think Gabriel is a very atrocious name. In my humble opinion, this name shouldn't exist.

I think Gabriel is a very handsome name that invokes, in my humble opinion, an air of intelligence, practical demeanor and resourcefulness to whomever is the bearer of this name.

Just an overrated hillbilly name.

Great name. Love iel ending names however this one is as handsome as heck.

Gabriel is a pretty cool name, although a bit overused. It sounds awesome and has a great meaning for Christians. However, I do not really like any of the nicknames, Gabe and Gab sound too "vowel-y" and I think it is better to use the full name. Gabriel and Daniel would be a cool sibling set.

My name is also Gabriel my mom loves the name Gabriel, I like it as well, I also like the nickname that comes with it as well, my grandma calls me Gabe and my cousins call me Gavy. Sometimes people make fun of me but that doesn't stop me from liking my name, so if any who gets called gay for their name Gabriel, I just wanted to let you that bully's will be bully's but don't let that stop you from liking your name.

I love this name and the nickname Gabe that goes with it. It's always been on my list of names if I ever have a son. The only reason I won't use it is because my sister named her son Gabriel.

My name is Gabriel. I’m 16 and have only recently begun to feel insecure of my name. I decided to visit this page after months of wondering why I didn’t like my name or what nickname I could choose that would make me feel comfortable. It is nice to see people’s thoughts on the name and also a little unnerving to see negative opinions as well haha. Hopefully I will grow to like it again, just feels like it’s gonna take forever.

I love this name. Fits good with Michael as from the angel brothers in the bible.

While I would admit openly that Gabriel would not be on my list of top names that I like, I can't agree with the comment that suggests it is outdated. Since the name Gabriel has a consistency of being used by countless generations up to the present, I would say it is a timeless classic that does not appear to abate in its popularity anytime soon.

My boyfriend's name! I sometimes call him Ganya, the Russian nickname for their version of Gabriel. It's a strong and handsome name that stands out.

Somewhat of a brilliant and attractive name in my opinion.

It's a cool, timeless, and handsome name.

Love love love Gabriel, probably my absolute favourite boy's name right now. It’s so handsome and timeless, perfect for your little angel. It makes me think of a kind, brave, GOOD person, someone who wants to make the world a better place. The nickname Gabe is very cute. I would pronounce it GABE-riel instead of GAY-briel (there is a difference) to prevent gay teasing, which I don’t think will be an issue anyway. I would name my son Gabriel Alexander.

This name isn’t even feminine, you might as well call your son Gabriella.

I love and prefer the name Gabe, but gave my son the full name of Gabriel at birth as it flowed well with his middle name. He has the option to use either version in the future. Or go by his strong middle name of James if he chooses. Not that many Gabe's in our part of the US.

Handsome.

I'm not a fan of the name. I can't really explain it, I just don't like reading the name nor hearing the name out loud. I think it has more-so to do with rooted self-loathing, since I just so happen to be named Gabriel. So really me not liking the name has less to do with the name itself and more about my own issues. Future parents, and other people who share the same name as me, please don't mistake my opinion as a form of advice. Choose the name that best suits you and makes you feel most comfortable, so if you want to go for the name Gabriel, then go for it :)

I REALLY LOVE the name Gabriel! This is my cousin's name! My P.E. teacher in middle school is named this too.

I like this name, a lot. I find it really nice and handsome. Also, I doubt that anyone would be teased for the "Gay" sound. Trust me, there are A LOT of homophobes where I live (I should know). Nobody named Gabriel has been teased because of it that I know of. If you like this name, I say totally use it. It's not very common, and I like it. I only know one, he goes by Gabe mostly.

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Gabriela/Gabriella is also very pretty for a girl, too. Brie, Gabby...or just in full form. I used to know a girl named Gabriella, she went by Gabby. I know one Gabriela right now, and she goes by Gabi. Gabriel, Gabriella, and Gabriela are all very underrated names where I am.

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The only problem I have is the repetitive b sound with this name and my surname, but I don't mind that. I still think it sounds nice with my surname and I would use it regardless.

When I was little I knew a girl who was unfortunately named Gabriel. Because of that, I always thought it was a feminine name. Now I realize it is a masculine name and suits boys much better. Use Gabriella or Gabby for the girls, but save Gabriel for the boys.

My name is Gabriel-Mikail. I was named after my great grandfather who went by this double first name. I always use just Gabriel when introducing myself to newly met acquaintances or strangers. It's just easy and people are able to correspond better with Gabriel.

There have been many men named Gabriel in my family. Being as it is a family name, I might consider it as a middle name for any future child I may have.

Hi, my name is Gabriel and I think my name is just fine. It may not appeal to everyone, but that’s life. You take the bad with good. :)

I find it very irrational and remarkable that the two commentators below would expel their extreme vitriol on such a simple name as Gabriel. Being that it is just a name and one could essentially dislike it. But never hate it since there is already enough hatred spreading around outside this website. But I digress. As for Gabriel, I think it has a few strong points that can be articulated in just a few words of being timeless, international and historic to say the least.

Hate it! It makes me uncomfortable for some reason.

I agree, MythicalCreature! I despise this name! I would NEVER name any boy this! Pleeeeeease don't do this to a poor, sweet, innocent child! I would hate having this name! Just use Gabrielle, Gabriele, Gabriela, etc for a girl!

Feels like a feminine name, while I know this is the name for a male, however, it just feels like it doesn't really fit for a male, something like made up names from the female version Gabriela, Gabriella, Gabrielle. Not bad, it just doesn't look like a stable name, too overused also.

I think this name is literally so amazing! Of course everyone likes this name! It's so cute and handsome. And Gabriel the Archangel is a wonderful angel to name your sweet baby boy after! I just love it so so much!

Used to like it a lot; I hate it now. It's a chubby, unintellectual name, easily abbreviated into lazy Gabe.

Gabriel is a very sweet MASCULINE name and I love it.

I’m sorry, but it makes me laugh that people actually think this name is feminine, lol.

I’m a Gabriel. When I was a child, I definitely did not like nor appreciate my name. My family had nicknames for me, including Gabe and Gables.
As I matured, I came to appreciate the beauty and power of my name. I love that my namesake, the archangel Gabriel, has a prominent place in all three major world religions.
My friends call me Gabe these days.
Also, and notably, I’ve NEVER encountered a Gabriel who was a jerk.

Don't really like it as it sounds too feminine to me on a male. I do like the names Gabrielle and Gabriella for females though.

The ending -el makes this name feel feminine. I don’t mind the name Gabe.

I really like Gabriel, it's very strong and handsome. It's quite common where I live, however. The "gay" part never stood out to me and I don't think it sounds feminine at all.

Gabriel is French It's a nice name.

I am Gabriel Cortez and I'm currently age 17... I wanna tell you all a story! Before I was born my mom was perfectly healthy then suddenly she started to get sick and she felt very nauseous and ill and my mom knew there was something wrong so immediately my mom prayed to God then God replied to my mother saying you can to take your child to the hospital! So then my mother took me to the hospital to have me checked while I was in her stomach then she found out there was a blockage in my mom's tube and I wasn't getting fed and drinking anything and also I wasn't getting any air so I was gonna die and my mother was gonna die with me and the doctors told my mother that they need to take me out of her stomach immediately then the doctors left the room to talk then suddenly these two angels showed up and my mother knew immediately who it was it was the archangel Gabriel and this other angel that we do not know so then the archangel Gabriel used a white ribbon and put it on my mom's stomach then the archangel Gabriel spoke to my mother for an hour saying that I'm special and the angles have something in-store for me when I'm older and that my mother needs to protect me and take care of me and watch over me and more conversation I do not know about then the archangel Gabriel removed the White ribbon out my mom's stomach after an hour of those two talking then they left. Then after that the doctor's returned and took me out my mom's stomach and after all I made it out my mom's stomach alive and I was saved by the archangel Gabriel himself. So then my mom named me after the archangel Gabriel. For a very long time I was embarrassed being out in public with being called Gabriel and I didn't like being called Gabriel and I wanted to be called Gabe... But now I am fully understanding of religion and I know everything about heaven, hell, God, Satan, Jesus, archangels, regular Angels, guardian angels, spirits, demons and that. I don't know when I started to like being called Gabriel but I think it was two or three years ago I permanently liked to be called Gabriel because now these days when I'm called Gabriel it makes me feel very powerful and very strong and I feel so angelic. So yeah, there's my story! That's why I'm named Gabriel because I was named by the archangel Gabriel who saved my life. But I have no idea why he saved me, he could have left me in my mom's stomach to die but he didn't. It was his job though and he was ordered by God to save me. And everyone says there's a reason for everything but I just wish I knew why God sent the archangel Gabriel and this other angel down to save me and I'm currently 17 and yet idk. But I know angels love us all and their job is to protect humans and vanquish demons and other spiritual evil. I've been a sinner for for 12 years and my sin has gotten worse as the year goes on so still the angels haven't had me anything like they said they would and I don't feel special and a lot of bad things have happened to me in life it may be because of my sin and evil in the world. And again that's why I am called Gabriel because of my story that I told you! And I most certainly like to be known as Gabriel now because it makes me feel like another archangel Gabriel! I have no idea why God saved me but I sure hope someday I will know!

I LOVE this name- just not a fan of the religious meaning behind it.

I honestly think that Gabriel is a really good name since my father and I are both named Gabriel, Also, it is named after Arch angel Gabriel, and if you are teased GAY-BREEL, Gay means happy, so you are being called a happy person, so be proud of it.

Feminine? How is this feminine?!?!? This is a very beautiful MASCULINE name.

I love this name so much I named my son Gabriel. I like that it's different but accessible. Unfortunately a lot of people do call him Gabrielle until I politely correct them. I think it's strong and beautiful. Most people comment on it positively. He's a beautiful little boy, very angelic looking and our little miracle. I hope he will love his name as he gets older and understands the reasons why we chose it for him.

Love it. Classic and ageless name.

My name is Gabriel and I have started to like it much more now that I’m older (16). Even though I’ve always been called Gabe by everyone, the first day of school for me is always a nightmare as many of my teachers call me Gabrielle when reading my name off the attendance sheet. Outside of that I love my name now that I’m older and I’ve come to appreciate it a lot more than I used to. I think Gabriel’s a good name for anyone that wants their child to have a name that’s not too common or uncommon. Also a great alternative to very common Hebrew names (ex. John, James, Michael).

This is my favorite name in the whole world, and has been since I was 10 years old. I am glad it's becoming more popular. I prefer it for boys/men, but I can't get too worked up about girls/women having the name. Nobody can stop the evolution of language, and names are an important part of language.

One of my friend's names is Gabriel and everyone calls him Gabe. Before reading some of these comments I had never even thought of the way someone may make fun of the name. I don't think that how some people pronounce the name, trying to "make fun" of the person and the name, should steer anyone away from using this name.

I don't get teased, everyone loves my name.

Gabriel is my name and I love it. It is a beautiful name.

Gabriel is not a terrible name. Do not feel bad for having it. It is a holy name in several religions and means strength and hero. This name is beautiful and has a powerful meaning. I myself am teased, but am not bothered. Sure it sounds like gay-breel, but gay actually means happy and in proper means they are unknowingly calling you a happy good-spirited person. So be proud with what ever name you have, they are all special and have meaning. By the way I'm german and I may be called gabriela, but that's the name of a saint, so boohyah suckers. Also Gabriel is an archangel among the the other six of seven and they are the highest class being above sepaphims inclising uriel.

I am called Gabriel and I'm in secondary school in England. I love my name, it's such a lovely name, but I have been called gay because of the name since around when I was 10 and I've had the name ever since, please call your children the name but I have had to move schools because of the verbal and physical abuse I have had because of my name. I have had an absolute nightmare because of my name but the other side to this is many in the older generation love my name and I get compliments about what a beautiful name I have and I thank god for my name! Please call your child it but please think of the consequences of it.

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Ps, I'm not gay at all and have a girlfriend that is beautiful!

Oh my gosh, people named their daughters this? Good grief, it's a masculine name. Just use Gabrielle or Gabriella for a girl.

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Now, I love this name. If I have a son, I might use this. Very nice, masculine name. I don't think it's feminine sounding at all. It has a certain soft, sweetness to it, but also a certain strong, masculine sound. Not a big fan of the nickname "Gabe" though.

My son is named Gabriel - and no, he is NOT teased, and that actually makes me laugh because I think those who commented that they hate their name being Gabriel for that reason, (and that they were the only Gabriel in their school) must be older. Times have changed, so have names and what women want in men, namely that the name itself is more popular, and kids don't have the same associations with the name as older people might - and "Gay", (in case you haven't noticed) isn't a negative word as one that your kids will use as an insult to each other. It isn't cool to hate, anymore. So they won't twist the root sound of this name into something negative; they won't even associate it, it won't be the socially accepted thing to do and no one wants all the girls jumping down his throat and turning against him.
Young women that will be coming of age with your children, are much more open to romance and a gentle masculinity that doesn't need to assert itself by posing, but is quietly confident enough to bear a name that a woman finds beautiful to the ear and the heart and not need a brutish, ugly name to find it masculine. As for your hating the nickname "Gabe", well, if you don't like it don't call him that. My son goes by "Riel", which people can choose to pronounce either "Real" or "Ree-el", but when he prefers to be called either that or the full form "Gabriel", (or Ga-BREE-el), he is confident and quick to say so.
So, that being said it is now my opportunity to shamelessly brag, since, you know, some of you guys did actually state all the things you think someone bearing the name Gabriel either is NOT or else that the name Gabriel would somehow deprive your child of being. This is what (my) Gabriel IS: He is a beautiful, tall, blonde, blue-eyed child with dimples who is happy, bright, well-adjusted, athletic, (soccer, swimming, Capoeira, baseball, dancing, extreme frisbee-playing, bowling, acrobatic, slap-stick physical, (makes me believe he's gonna break his neck and crack-up even when I want to pull my hair out and scream at him) ::proud mama grin:: surfing, (his dad had a sponsorship and his aunt is a pro-surfer/environmental scientist and we both grew-up at the beach soo... yeah), skating, (gets that from me), intelligent, funny, dramatically inclined, artistic, (paints, draws - me again), curious by nature, observant, kind, warm, empathetic to others, popular, (because he can relate to others and find common ground) and yes, I am bragging as a mother, but not ONLY as a mother - he is a gamer (an accomplished one since age two - a gift inherited from uncles - and encouraged by them even against my wishes BUT I have to say this has had NO detrimental effect on his desire to play outside or being physical, or his attention-span - he will still willingly sit through entire documentaries - really likes them) and a straight-A student who is learning to speak Portuguese and who plays chess, (and is learning quickly to conquer his opponents, not only in the game but in life - with words and communication and friendship - equanimity and amity, not physical confrontation - although everyone knows he could, if he chose to because he is tall for his age and strong and has practiced self-defense through Capoeira, a form of martial arts learned through dance, music and games - it's actually very cool and fun, and the acrobatics are amazing- def. Recommended). Mostly, he knows kindness, generosity in word and deed, the values of forgiveness, and faith and charity and is being exposed to the right experiences to learn these things, (for instance, we guide him and pay attention to his experiences, but we allow him to make mistakes, and provide opportunities to help others, such as volunteering.

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We do not thwart his opportunities by over-sheltering but we do believe children should be protected and sheltered). No, he's not perfect, far from it, (well, except in a mother's eyes, maybe... nah, not even there, but the point is I wouldn't have him any other way. It's true, just wait until you love one. Btw, don't tell them that they're perfect, no matter how much you might want to - that will spoil a child and the type of spoilage you have to worry about is not affected by how much you give him/her, but how you give it, and when and where and why and with what intentions.
Is he obnoxiously self-aware or pretentious? Nope. Sorry. You know why? Because it's in how you raise your child, and how you encourage their natural inclinations and teach them and nurture them that helps to guide them in to being successful people as men and women, and not only a predetermination - What's in a name?
Our Gabriel is only seven. What will he be? I don't know. He wants to be a veterinarian, and his favorite place to volunteer is the local Humane Society, even though he hates anything gross, he says he doesn't mind, "since it helps the animals, I mean, it's not like they can scoop their own poop". I hope he grows into a kind, honest and caring man who does the best he can for himself and for others. That he knows love, to give and receive and not more than his share of suffering. I hope that he will be healthy and happy. That is every mother's hope. We cannot know, we can only do our best, and wait with baited breath. As for his name, it has given him compliments from so many people, and attention - such as from a busy physician on a break, whom he met last night at the library while he was helping the man's daughter to use a computer, and when the busy father returned they struck-up a conversation and I heard the dad exclaim, "You're kidding, your name is Gabriel?!" It turned-out to be his, too. Gabriels tend to share a bond with the name that goes a little further - my son has met lasting friends through his name. If you disagree with these principles, then don't name your child Gabriel - I'm happy my son shares the name with so many cool, loving and faithful people who are also open-minded and if it weeds-out friends from those who would judge him for his name - all the better for it! I'm glad we named our son Gabriel. Oh, and don't judge Gabriel on his mother - Gabriel is his own person. As my cousin would say when anyone compared him to someone in the family, "Gabriel is like GABRIEL", he doesn't have to resemble anyone but himself. He is unique. Just like your son or daughter. Whether she or he's called Gabriel or not. Now, on to his middle name to see what people think of that... ;) ::mischievous grin::

I love this name, whether it's pronounced GAY-bree-el or GAH-bree-el. It sounds powerful and regal, definitely like an archangel's name. However, I hate the nickname Gabe, as it sounds like the name of a beer-bellied, chain smoking gambler. It completely lacks the regal feel of Gabriel. I agree with a previous user that Gale is the best nickname, or else none at all.

Gabriel is certainly a soft-masculine name to my mind, but masculine nonetheless. I've known several Gabriel's throughout life of varying ages and all are boys. According to the Social Security statistics it is quite a common name for boys but is not even listed for girls. So I'm really wondering where all these comments are coming from saying it is a girls name, I do find it very peculiar. Perhaps you were all thinking of the name Gabrielle? That's actually a different name and it is even spelled differently. Anyhow, it's a nice name, I'm considering it. Lovely meaning too. My only issue with it is that it's so common!

I don't get the big fuss and all the ooo's and ahhh's over this name. The "gay" sound in the name makes me pull further away from ever using it on a child and not to mention that it's a stereotypical name among Mexicans and Spanish people.

To the user above me: Is there any reason why you've felt the need to make the same comment twice in two separate years?

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The name is only pronounced initially with the "gay" sound if you use the English pronunciation. The original pronunciation has always been GAB REE EL without the word "gay" being used. Indeed, as this site shows, only the English pronounce the name that way. All other languages pronounce it more correctly.

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Sounds to me like some people were either bullied by someone named Gabriel and hate the name for that reason or are simply jealous of the name because they have some boring name like Tom, Dick or Harry.

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There's a fuss over the name because of its strong connections in history and with the archangel. Also it's one of the Hebrew names ending with "el" for God so like Raphael, Michael, Immanuel or Ezekiel, it's a special name in terms of religion.

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Seems like there's a lot of ignorant people commenting here on this name though.

Hate, hate, hate, hate this name more than any other name. Gab reminds me of jab, and jab reminds me of fighting, so I can only associate this name with a brat who fights and gets into trouble.

I have so much love over the name Gabriel. It's handsome, graceful, lovely and utterly sweet.

I love this name (mainly because it is my name), but anyhow, it just makes me cry when I hear this name. I just wasn't expecting it. I think it is very masculine and I absolutely love it.

Gabriel is currently my favorite boy name. It's handsome, yet cherubic. It's strong, yet delicate, but not in any way effeminate or weak. I am glad it is getting the popularity it deserves.

Gabriel is a very beautiful name!

Gabriel is one of my favorite boy names, but I prefer it as a middle name since I don't like the nickname Gabe. I like it in full - Gabriel. Gorgeous.

I don't understand the fuss over this name. Many people simply love and adore it.
I'm not saying it's horrible, but the fact that it has 'gay' in it (gay bree uhl) just makes me not care too much for the name. It definitely has teasing potential because of that. And not to mention the fact that it's so popular with latinos, Spanish and mexicans it's to stereotypical levels.

I am a Gabriel and I couldnt be prouder of the name, I have heard nothing but positive things from people about it and I never had any issues at school because of it at all. I think it is great to have an unusual name, after all who wants to be just another Dave, Mike, Paul, etc not me! Those people who say it is girly or unmasuline are uneducated and ignorant in my opinion. If we have a boy it will be given the name Gabriel.

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Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones has a son called Gabriel and currently the name is the 4th most popular name for a new baby boy in France.

I love this name. I would have named my son Gabriel had I been blessed with children.

While not at all fond of the English pronunciation (much prefer GAH-bree-el), I absolutely love this name, it's second only to Dorian for me. (So far I've used both on fictional characters, since nobody in their right mind would let me name an actual child. Good.) It's just too bad my language only uses the feminine form, Gabriela, which I find exceptionally ugly - an unfortunate association with an annoying classmate probably plays a big role in that, but Gabriel is just generally a strictly masculine name to me so it kinda rubs me the wrong way. Same with Gabrielle.

This is my middle name. I think it's an amazing name and feel sorry for the ones stupid enough to think it's effeminate.

To me the English pronunciation is horrible as well as the Gabe version of it. I love the way the name is pronounced in Spanish: Gah-bree-el.
To me the connotation of the name is: Enigma, Light, Crystal, Strength, Golden, Gentleness.
As a communicator or God's messenger to men, this angelic being is associated with the third expression or manifestation of God to mankind, that is, with the Holy Spirit.
God's word incarnate in the flesh is the Christ, whereas God's word in its spiritual manifestation is the Holy Spirit.
What can be more telling, enigmatic, powerful and subtle than this name?

Whenever I hear this name, I think of someone in the Revolunionary war for some reason. Regardless. I LOVE this name.

Gabriel is a wonderful name with a powerful meaning. It is a name I would definitely use for a son as it is masculine and classic.

A little too trendy, but it has a nice sound to it. The nickname Gabe isn't that bad either, although I prefer Gabriel. Overall, I like the name but unfortunately I'd caution against using it because its very trendy at the moment.

I've only met one person named Gabriel in my life, he was a really sweet, quiet little boy. I like this name a lot, and it's apparently becoming very popular.

I like it. Female variations
Gabriella
Gabrielle
Gabriela.

Gabriel is a great name: an angel; a winged warrior, pure of heart and fierce of spirit. I hate "Gabe" though, it turns an archangel of righteous fury into a beer-bellied middle-aged red-neck guy. After toying around with the sounds of this name (Gay. Gabe. Brie. Briel. Riel. Riely. Gay-Ri. Gay-El.) and came up with Gale. Gale is the best nickname (if you really want to shorten it) for Gabriel. It is one syllable yet retains the strength of Gabriel and adds a touch of storminess :).

This is a fantastic, powerful name that reminds me of either the archangel, a brave young warrior, or just your regular guy. The only setback is the terrible nickname "Gabe".

I LOVE this name, and I don't think it's at all feminine. I will definitely consider naming one of my sons Gabriel.

This isn't my favorite sounding name, but I LOVE the meaning! I'd definitely consider using it on a son.

I absolutely LOVE the name Gabriel. It's so soft, yet masculine and strong at the same time. I'd love to name my future son Gabriel Raphael-- in honor of the two angels.

Gabriel is my name. I find it very hard to be named Gabriel/Gabe. It is not at all a common name despite its mild increase in popularity.

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Expect your son to be the only Gabriel in school. Expect him to be mercilessly teased about it being a "girls name" in kindergarten and early elementary school.

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Expect him to be mercilessly teased about it for being "gay" in later elementary through high school.

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This kind of thing can damage a person to one degree or another. And honestly, who needs that kind of hassle? Why make a child different and at a disadvantage right off-the-bat with something so personal and inseparable as his name?

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Some may retort that a rose by any other name. . . But roses don't have minds like people do. A name becomes intertwined with SELF and IDENTITY on a very personal and every day level.

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Honestly, it's a unique and meaningful name in many ways. But it's just not worth it.

I like this name, it's rather handsome.

I named my son Gabriel after the Archangel and the infant child in The Giver. Despite what some of the others have commented, I have not heard a negative comment about my son's name. People have praised me for giving him a strong, yet beautiful, name with a rich history. My son is commonly called Gabe.

I LOVE this name, if I have a son I'll name him this name. Either Gabriel or Daniel. My dad thinks it's tacky, but my mom loves it too. One of my closest friends has this name, pronounced gah-bree-el.

Gabriel is my boyfriend's name, and it is a name that, to me, leaves the impression of strength both intelligent as well as gentle and kind. I feel that it is not feminine (that would be Gabrielle or Gabriella), but rather masculine in a quiet yet strong way. The name certainly does not seem overused to me (I've only known one Gabriel), but I hear complaints about it being "overused" and "too popular". To these I will say: it's a handsome name for a boy, and if you love it, use it. We could use more Gabriels in the world.

I don't care for this name. It's highly overrated and overused. I don't think that Gabriel sounds feminine at all, just very boring. No offense to the angel who has this name.

I like the sound of the last syllable but not of the first, whether its pronounced "GAHB" or "GAYB". Overall, though, Gabriel is a strong, classic name.

This name is one of my favorites, but I feel like it's way too Christian and popular to use.

Absolutely pretty. All Gabriels I've met have been very smart and funny and have the prettiest eyes! I call my honey Gabe, often times I call him Babe. I think it's very masculine and strong and I love the "messenger" connotation to it!

I don't really care for this name. It's not that it's feminine, because it isn't (I mean, I doesn't sound feminine to me). It does have an interesting meaning to it, which is nice, but, I realize this is stupid, but here goes:
The first syllable seems to be what really bothers me. "Gabe" sounds too much like "Babe," and I don't like that word/name because of that dumb pig movie. XD

Gabriel always reminds me of a cute little boy with curly brown hair. It's a pretty name, and almost every pronunciation is nice.

Personally, I have never been teased with this name. I usually go by Gabe, and I like it just as much as Gabriel. After all, gay does mean happy. :)

I just created an account to tell everyone that this name sucks. In Spanish it's pronounced gabrielle and in English gaybriel.

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So I had Spanish friends teasing me about the gay part and American friends teasing me about the girly pronunciation AND THE GAY PART.

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I finally got everyone to call me by my middle name and I went as far as going to court and changing my name for good. Got rid of Gabriel entirely.

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If you wanna screw your kid go ahead and name him Gabriel. It's a relief that I don't have to introduce myself as gay anymore (Gabe sounds just as gay, after a while everyone is just calling you gay) this name sucks period.

It's pronounced GAY-bree-ell. And I really dislike the GAY part.

This is such a sweet, lovely name! My boyfriend bears this name; I thought it was kind of an old-fashioned name but that thought changed when I met him :)

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I think this is good for a middle name, too, like Shawn Gabriel. It's not too old-fashioned, at least not to me.

I met a girl with this name. It was strange, I thought her name was Gabrielle first. She even goes by Gabe, or Gabby, which is much better since she's a girl.

I love this name, it's so sweet and beautiful! And I'm not just saying that because I know a sweetheart by this name. It really is attractive and it's not too old-fashioned for nowadays, in my opinion. So parents, if you like this name, I'd say go for it.

Ok I have to take it back. I love this name. It's so sweet and not so common! When I hear this name I'm going to think of an angel and a great friend.

I love this name aand it has such a great meaning: "Strong man of God". What better title could you give your son?

As to what others have said above I would have to say I wouldn't name my child Gabriel, either. It's a bit old-fashioned. Though I think it's lovely for the Archangel, Gabriel. :)

My son's name is Gabriel. I feel that it's a name that, along with names such as Julian, Adrian, and similar are clearly masculine, but are "soft-masculine". Patrick and Michael are names that I'd place in a category of more "hard-masculine". He's young enough that teasing isn't an issue either way, but it's a common/well-known enough name that I doubt it's going to open him or the herds of young Gabriels up to much trouble (in 2005, his birth year, it was ranked #28--hardly unheard of).

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I am not a huge fan of the nickname Gabe, but I find Gabriel to be lyrical and strong. Ask me in 10 years or so if he has any regrets about our choice for him. :)

Well, I'm expecting a child in May and Gabriel is one of my top choices. I just so happened to see your comment.. nine years later. Does your son have any regrets about your choice for him?

I LOVE this name for a boy! It's one of my favorite Biblical names (I'm Christian, by the way). But I hate girls named Gabriel or Gabrielle or Gabriella or whatever. No, just no. It 's too masculine for a girl. I'm a girl named Tyrelle, (my parents didn't know it was an actual name) and I'm used to weird comments, but the use of Gabriel or variations of it bother me. Please leave this as a boy's name.

I'm not big on Biblical names as a concept, but this is one of the nice ones. It doesn't sound pompous or overly foreign like all those hickish -iah names that I can't stand. The name has a fairly pleasant sound to it, and it doesn't sound too youthful for a grown-up. It can also be shortened to Gabe, which is an okay nickname. I hold nothing against the name, as long as you don't decide to name the boy Angel Gabriel. Has been done, by the way.

To the person who commented that Gabriel was too feminine because "add two more letters and you get Gabrielle!" Perhaps that's because Gabrielle is the feminine version of Gabriel?

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I'm not sure why people think this name is feminine, unless it's because Gabrielle (at least where I live) is more commonly heard as a name than Gabriel. I love this as a name and it would definitely make the short list if I had a son to name.

I adore the name Gabriel, it's great to use when you are writing because you could use it symbolically in the sense of an angelic being. Or my personal favourite, using the name Gabriel in an ironic sense. Have an evil charecter with the name. Sort of like on the television show, Heroes. The one character Sylar's real name is Gabriel.

I have a 13 year old son whose name is Gabriel. I think it sounds beautiful. The name Gabriel sounds beautiful and strong. So not only is Gabe NOT a nerdy feminine name, but all you have to do is look at my beautiful boy to SEE how strong he is. AND NOT feminine, but if he were, so what. This isn't 1950.

I'd only give this to my child if pronounced GA-bre-ul.

We chose to name our son Gabriel Michael. Never have I thought it to be a "girly" sounding name. I have always thought it to be a strong masculine name. I love the character of it, like a knight or a warrior. As for most names I don't like the short versions of them but Gabe is a nice name too. I feel that we chose the perfect name for him. :)

I love this name so much! It sounds so strong and meaningful because of the angel Gabriel! I also don't mind Gabe too much, but the full name is much better.

If anyone names their child this, know that a common nickname for Gabriel is Gay-briel. I am sorry if you like this name, but in a story I am writing, I put the devil's undercover name as Gabriel.

I think this name is great. I'm actually considering it for one of my possible boys. It's not that feminine, and I've known only one Gabriel in my area, so that's attractive for me, plus, I enjoy biblical names. I, however, dislike Gabe, it gives me the image of a fat kid for some reason, (sorry Gabes). So if I use this name, he'd just be Gabriel. Great name!

I know someone who named their daughter Gabriel, and I thought it was clever. I really like it as a girls name.

It's #28 on the popularity charts in the U.S. for 2006, so apparently many, many American parents do not find it 'unusable' or 'horrible' or 'effeminate'. Thankfully.

My name is Gabriel. However, I go by "Gabe", and would never by Gabriel. I do not like bearing the name "Gabe" or "Gabriel" for several reasons; the top 2 are as follows:

1. I am in sales, therefore everyday I am mistaken for Dave, David, Gay, Dan, Gave, etc. This is an everyday occurance.

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2. If you are going to name your son Gabriel, call him Gabriel for life; If you are going to call him Gabe, name him Gabe, not Gabriel.

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Take it as is. But being named "Gabe" is kind of a beating. I can say that I've only known 2 Gabe's in my life.

There isn't really anything wrong with this name, I guess. I used to love it, and I gave it as a middle name to a character in my story. Unfortunately, it reminds me of someone I really do not like, especially with the nickname Gabe.

I love this name! It reminds me of the angel Gabriel. I do not think it is feminine at all! If you want it to be feminine then add "la" at the end for Gabriella, which I also like. I plan on naming my son this whenever I have children. He will probably go by his middle name though because I do think he may get made fun of. I like the names Gabriel Kelton together.

Gabriel is definitely not a feminine name. It actually surprises me that people would think that. This is a nice name, and I would pair it with Christopher, so a son could be called Gabriel Christopher which would mean something like, "The angel that bears Christ". Beautiful, in my opinion.

I'm very fond of the name Gabriel. It's one of my favorites. It's strong and almost graceful. I picture a tall, muscular, thoughtful young man.

If I'll ever have a son I might call him Gabriel. I have loved this names for years and I think it's a lovely name!

I love the name Gabriel. It will definitely be my first son's name. I think it is so cool that an angel has a nice name that people like the sound of.

I really like this name. I'll admit it sounds a bit unisex, but I don't care. It sounds gentle and caring. Gabe isn't a bad nickname, either. I would seriously consider using Gabriel on my son, if I ever have one.

Not my favorite boy's name, the way I've always heard it pronounced, it just sounds too similar to "Gabrielle" (I know they are the masculine and feminine verisons of the same name--but still), and maybe it's just because I've known far more Gabriellas and Gabrielles, and because I always thought that angel Gabriel was a girl (again, probably because I grew up with a Gabrielle, but I didn't know there WAS a boy version of the name for a good long time, I always thought they were saying Gabrielle!). I agree completely that it is a very beautiful sounding name (far more beautiful than Gabrielle, in that slight difference in pronunciation, although I am biased because I never really got along with the Gabrielle I grew up with), and I really do love it, but my impression of the name is still not exclusively male. In my head it's more of an androgynous name, like Alex or Jess(i)e, but given that it's typically given to males, well, let me put it this way: I don't see any male wrestlers, American Football players, or body-builders with the name "Gabriel", (I apologize if there are any, I don't really follow sports too much). However, I can see a male singer, artist, and actor with the name (more my crowd anyway). That's my impression of it at least.

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I would never call "Gabriel" a masculine-sounding name, but that isn't meant to be an insult. In my opinion, Dominique or even Ryan isn't "a man's man" name either. It's too gentle, but hey, a sensitive man is just as good as or even better than a jock--not that a name really decides a personality. I prefer less rough names for boys anyway, but there is a warning label if "Gabriel" is being thought of as a baby name: just be wary of the English pronunciation.

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As pretty as it is, there's no way the boy (or even if it's a girl) is getting away unscathed with that name. Not in this day and age, although every name get's picked on (unavoidable), but some names are asking for it more than others, so this kid would really need the lesson "don't care what other people think" drummed into their head, which is an important lesson anyway regardless of your name.

I love the name Gabriel too, so much that my friends use it as my nickname sometimes! I definitely disagree about it being too feminine, and as 'pink_floyd_fan' pointed out, a lot of names such as Daniel and Alex have feminine forms and no-one complains about them. I'm probably going to name my first son Gabriel.

I really like the name Gabriel. No it's not too feminine because it has a feminine form Gabriella. That's the feminine of the name. Gabriel is a very masculine name. And it's biblical, you can't go wrong with that in my opinion of course. :) I do adore this name.

I think this is a very classy name for a boy and I like it a lot. :)

My son's name is Gabriel, but we pronounce it the French way. I think it sounds more beautiful pronounced Ga-bree-EL.

I really like this name, and I like the nickname Gabe. This name isn't terribly masculine, but I don't think it sounds feminine.

I really love this name, there is something very strong and passionate about it. I love that it is the name of an Angel and it gives me the impression of someone who is fighting for goodness and justice because of it. I think that it's masculine and represents strength. I want to name my first son Gabriel.

This name is much too effeminate for a boy. I mean, just add two letters and you get Gabrielle! It's also very pretentious and prissy sounding. I would think any boy with this name would be teased mercilessly.

I love this name! I don't think it sound feminine (especially the nickname Gabe). Lots of male names make female names by adding a few letters. Ex: Daniel + le = Danielle, Stephan + ie = Stephanie, Alex + is = Alexis.

I do not like this name at all. I agree that it's too feminine and I would never name my son this.

Gorgeous name. I even like the nickname of Gabe. There is something very powerful that goes with this name. A strength and goodness. I would definitely name my son Gabriel.

I absolutely love this name. It makes me think of a man who is peaceful, strong and intelligent.

I've always loved this name -- it gives the impression of great strength, character, distinction, gentleness, and passion -- but I'm not fond of the common moniker Gabe. Therefore, I chose this as the middle name for my eldest son, Liam.

Gabriel does nothing for me. I find it to be rather blah-sounding, and a little pretentious.

I bear Gabriel and it's a bit funny for me to say this, but every time I hear my name there's a surge of strength that rises inside me. I know that name is so special and only for special people.

To me this name is very masculine and strong sounding peaceful name.

This is my favorite boy's name, I have choosen it for the name of my son!

I really dislike this name, I think it sounds very feminine and dorky. I think the child would be teased.

My brother is called Gabriel (pronounced GAH-bree-el in Swedish). I think it's the most beautiful boys' name there is! It's not "feminine" (BTW, is that a derogative word or something!?) and he isn't teased!