Given name & surname
Gabriela
“heroine of God”·“man of God”·“a hero of God”
In Portuguese use, Gabriela has a related form in Gabrielle. In Hebrew use, Gabrielle carries the interpretation “heroine of God.” In Czech use, Gabriela is a feminine form of Gabriel. Interpretations include “man of God” (Hebrew) and “a hero of God” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Original Hebrewגבריאלה
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Portuguese use, Gabriela has a related form in Gabrielle. In Hebrew use, Gabrielle carries the interpretation “heroine of God.” In Czech use, Gabriela is a feminine form of Gabriel. Interpretations include “man of God” (Hebrew) and “a hero of God” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In Czech use, Gabriela is a feminine form of Gabriel. An origin associated with Gabriel is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Czech usage, Gabriela is a feminine form of Gabriel.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1903. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In Czech use, Gabriela is a feminine form of Gabriel. The history of Gabriel gives this family its wider story. Gabriel appears in biblical tradition, giving it a longstanding religious and cultural context.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Gabriela through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 86,553
- 371 boys · 86,182 girls
- Most popular year
- 2003
- 3,369 babies
- 2025
- 961
- #317 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −7%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 961 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 317 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 6.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 3,362 in 2003. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (153). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 112,854 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Gabriela’s family of names
In English usage, Gabriela has a diminutive in Gabby. In Czech usage, Gabriela is a feminine form of Gabriel. In Portuguese usage, Gabriela has a related form in Gabrielle.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Gabriela has relatives in 15 languages.
27 related names in 15 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 22
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Gabrielvariant · German, Czech
- Gabriellavariant · Portuguese, Italian
- Gabriellevariant · Portuguese, French
- Gabbydiminutive · English
- Gabydiminutive · Spanish, Portuguese
- Gabrielevariant · Portuguese, German
- Bibidiminutive · Portuguese
- Gabidiminutive · Spanish, Portuguese
Show 14 moreShow fewer
- Elkadiminutive · Slovak
- Gabinadiminutive · Czech
- Gabriellyvariant · Portuguese
- Gabrielyvariant · Portuguese
- Gabrrielalikely variant
- Gabbrielalikely variant
- Gabrielkadiminutive · Czech, Slovak
- Gábinavariant · Czech
- Gabrysiaclipped form · Polish
- Gabavariant · Slovak
- Gabryśkadiminutive · Polish
- Eluškadiminutive · Slovak
- Gabikadiminutive · Slovak
- Gabrielivariant · Portuguese
Spellings & scripts 5
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 8
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 6
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Gabriela
- Gabriela MistralChilean poet, diplomat and educator (1889–1957)
- Gabriela SabatiniArgentine tennis playerborn 1970
- Gabriela ZapolskaPolish novelist, prose writer, publicist, feuilletonist, theatre critic, stage actress (1857–1921)
- Gabriela SzaboRomanian athletics (sport) competitorborn 1975
- Gabriela GunčíkováCzech singerborn 1993
- Gabriela SoukalováCzech biathleteborn 1989
- Gabriela SpanicVenezuelan actressborn 1973
- Gabriela IslerVenezuelan model and beauty pageant titleholderborn 1988
- Gaby EspinoVenezuelan actress and modelborn 1977
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Gabriela, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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