| Gabriel | Samuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God is my strength | God has heard |
| Origin | Hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | GAY-bree-el | SAM-yoo-el |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2008 (13,041) | 2001 (14,813) |
| In 2025 | 6,569 | 8,334 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Gabriel | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 41,496 | 50,328 |
| 2010s | 105,621 | 108,128 |
| 2000s | 119,830 | 138,647 |
| 1990s | 54,819 | 125,597 |
| 1980s | 32,320 | 73,456 |
| 1970s | 24,390 | 48,099 |
| 1960s | 6,159 | 44,247 |
| 1950s | 3,204 | 53,767 |
| 1940s | 2,039 | 43,129 |
| 1930s | 1,839 | 32,135 |
| 1920s | 2,201 | 43,362 |
| 1910s | 1,335 | 34,166 |
| 1900s | 234 | 8,149 |
| 1890s | 144 | 7,857 |
| 1880s | 147 | 9,129 |
Gabriel is from the Hebrew Gavriʾel, “God is my strength.” Gabriel is one of the archangels who appears in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition.
Samuel is a Hebrew name read as “God has heard” or “name of God.” The prophet Samuel anointed the first kings of Israel.
Samuel is more popular than Gabriel today: about 8,334 US babies were given the name Samuel in 2025, compared with 6,569 named Gabriel.
Gabriel means God is my strength (Hebrew origin), while Samuel means God has heard (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Gabriel first appears in 1880 and Samuel in 1880, so Gabriel has the longer recorded history.