Of Hebrew origin.
From the Hebrew name “Gavri’el”, meaning “God is my strength”.
Another meaning that is given to the name in Greek (Γαβριήλ) and in Hebrew is “man of God”.
According to the Bible, Gabriel is one of the seven archangels, serving as God’s messenger.
In the Gospel of Luke, he foretold the births of John the Baptist and Jesus, respectively to Zechariah and the Virgin Mary.
According to Islamic tradition Gabriel dictated the Qur’an to Muhammad.
Until the end of the 20th century Gabriel was a rather uncommon name.
Feminine forms of the name are: Gabrielle, Gabriella, Gaby, Brielle, Gabi,Briella.
Alternative forms of the name are: Gavriel, Gabriele, Jibril, Gábor, Havryil, Gabriël.
Famous bearers are Gabriel García Márquez, Gabriel Byrne, Gabriel Macht, Gabriel Mann, Gabriel Batistuta, Gabriel Basso, Gabriel Landeskog, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Gabriel Medina, Gabriel Porras, Gabriel Soto.
Gabriel is a popular name in Switzerland, France, Belgium, Portugal, Chile and Croatia.
Gabriel García Márquez was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer and journalist.
He is considered one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.
In 1982 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
His best known novels are “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, “Love in the Time of Cholera” and “The Autumn of the Patriarch”.
In 1987 his novel “Chronicle of a Death Foretold” was adapted for the movies, starring Rupert Everett, Ornella Muti, Gian Maria Volontè and Irena Papas.
In 2007, Mike Newell directed “Love in the Time of Cholera”, starring Javier Bardem, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Benjamin Bratt, John Leguizamo.