Total births
395,778
Boys' name · since 1880
Gabriel
Gabriel has 395,778 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2008 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #43
- among boys today
- 395,778
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99.7%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Gabriel is the #43 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 395,778 recorded since 1880.
Gabriel has 395,778 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #43 as of the latest data, more common than 99.7% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #43 among boys today
- 395,778 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
- 99.7% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Gabriel is currently the #43 boys' name in America, more common than 99.7% of boys - 395,778 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #43
- among boys today
- 395,778
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99.7%
- more common than other boys
Gabriel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#43
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.7% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Gabriel was born in this single decade.
2008
Single peak year
13,041 babies were named Gabriel in 2008 - its busiest year on record.
How Gabriel compares
395,778 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Gabriel's all-time total is 1,078x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gabriel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 395,778 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 13,041 | 23 | 22,252 |
Gabriel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Gabriel's full recorded timeline at 1953, 98% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 2% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1889, with just 9 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2008 peak of 13,041 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Gabriel at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
2008
Current rank
#43
Active since
1880
Gabriel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2008)
- 13,041
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Gabriel popularity over time - girls
6,849 total births recorded since 1910 (Gabriel as girls' name)
Gabriel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Gabriel's strongest decade.
119,830 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Gabriel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 147
1880s
147 births
- 1890s 144
1890s
144 births
- 1900s 234
1900s
234 births
- 1910s 1,335
1910s
1,335 births
- 1920s 2,201
1920s
2,201 births
- 1930s 1,839
1930s
1,839 births
- 1940s 2,039
1940s
2,039 births
- 1950s 3,204
1950s
3,204 births
- 1960s 6,159
1960s
6,159 births
- 1970s 24,390
1970s
24,390 births
- 1980s 32,320
1980s
32,320 births
- 1990s
1990s
54,819 births
- 2000s
2000s
119,830 births
- 2010s
2010s
105,621 births
- 2020s 41,496
2020s
41,496 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 119,830 births (30% of all-time use).
How Gabriel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Gabriel's total volume
Gabriel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Gabriel by state
Where Gabriel concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 66,744 | 16.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 44,770 | 11.3% |
| #3 | Florida | | 24,149 | 6.1% |
| #4 | New York | | 23,916 | 6.0% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 14,226 | 3.6% |
| #6 | Arizona | | 12,492 | 3.2% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 12,120 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 11,910 | 3.0% |
California share of Gabriel's total US births 16.9%
Even split
66,744 of 395,778 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Gabriel appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gabriel? ▼
Gabriel has been given to 395,778 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #43 as of the latest data. 13,041 babies were born in 2008, its single highest year.
When was Gabriel most popular? ▼
Gabriel was most popular in the 2000s decade with 119,830 total births. The single peak year was 2008.
Where is Gabriel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gabriel are California (66,744 births), Texas (44,770 births), Florida (24,149 births).
How long has the name Gabriel been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Gabriel since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Gabriel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gabe, Gabino, Gabrial, Gabriele, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Gabriel's data
- Gabriel's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (119,830 total births) through the 2020s (41,496) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Gabriels (66,744 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Gabriel
Nearby Names Like Gabriel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gabriel
Gabe Boy
#4575 4,110 births
Gabino Boy
#3109 2,573 births
Gabrial Boy
1,627 births
Gabriele Boy
#4934 890 births
Gable Boy
#5468 804 births
Compare Gabriel side by side: Gabriel vs Gabe Gabriel vs Gabino Gabriel vs Gabrial
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gabriel
Mason #42
342,583 births · Peak 2011
Anthony #44
1,488,042 births · Peak 1990
Isaac #41
331,508 births · Peak 2007
Logan #45
387,999 births · Peak 2007
Jacob #40
988,227 births · Peak 1998
Carter #46
206,833 births · Peak 2015
Thomas #39
2,358,576 births · Peak 1952
Aiden #47
257,765 births · Peak 2009
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gabriel: #43 Boys' Name - 395,778 Births, Peak 2008." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gabriel. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Gabriel draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.