| Aaron | Gabriel | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Exalted; of uncertain origin | God is my strength |
| Origin | Hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | AIR-un | GAY-bree-el |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1989 (15,308) | 2008 (13,041) |
| In 2025 | 4,041 | 6,569 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Aaron | Gabriel |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 27,346 | 41,496 |
| 2010s | 70,488 | 105,621 |
| 2000s | 86,992 | 119,830 |
| 1990s | 128,377 | 54,819 |
| 1980s | 138,357 | 32,320 |
| 1970s | 101,487 | 24,390 |
| 1960s | 26,070 | 6,159 |
| 1950s | 11,141 | 3,204 |
| 1940s | 5,940 | 2,039 |
| 1930s | 4,727 | 1,839 |
| 1920s | 6,177 | 2,201 |
| 1910s | 4,570 | 1,335 |
| 1900s | 1,050 | 234 |
| 1890s | 830 | 144 |
| 1880s | 910 | 147 |
Aaron is a Hebrew name of debated meaning, often given as “exalted, high” or “mountain of strength.” In the Bible he is the elder brother of Moses and the first high priest of Israel.
Gabriel is from the Hebrew Gavriʾel, “God is my strength.” Gabriel is one of the archangels who appears in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition.
Gabriel is more popular than Aaron today: about 6,569 US babies were given the name Gabriel in 2025, compared with 4,041 named Aaron.
Aaron means Exalted; of uncertain origin (Hebrew origin), while Gabriel means God is my strength (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Aaron first appears in 1880 and Gabriel in 1880, so Aaron has the longer recorded history.