| Gabriel | Elijah | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God is my strength | Yahweh is my God |
| Origin | Hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | GAY-bree-el | ee-LY-juh |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2008 (13,041) | 2011 (14,001) |
| In 2025 | 6,569 | 11,111 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Gabriel | Elijah |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 41,496 | 72,049 |
| 2010s | 105,621 | 137,147 |
| 2000s | 119,830 | 110,421 |
| 1990s | 54,819 | 34,652 |
| 1980s | 32,320 | 7,567 |
| 1970s | 24,390 | 3,400 |
| 1960s | 6,159 | 1,524 |
| 1950s | 3,204 | 2,314 |
| 1940s | 2,039 | 2,399 |
| 1930s | 1,839 | 2,135 |
| 1920s | 2,201 | 2,755 |
| 1910s | 1,335 | 1,963 |
| 1900s | 234 | 725 |
| 1890s | 144 | 704 |
| 1880s | 147 | 856 |
Gabriel is from the Hebrew Gavriʾel, “God is my strength.” Gabriel is one of the archangels who appears in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition.
Elijah is from the Hebrew Eliyyahu, “Yahweh is my God.” The prophet Elijah is a major figure in the Hebrew Bible.
Elijah is more popular than Gabriel today: about 11,111 US babies were given the name Elijah in 2025, compared with 6,569 named Gabriel.
Gabriel means God is my strength (Hebrew origin), while Elijah means Yahweh is my God (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Gabriel first appears in 1880 and Elijah in 1880, so Gabriel has the longer recorded history.