How to say it
ga · bri · EL · la
/ˌɡæb.riˈɛl.ə/
Feminine
Gabriella
God is my strength
What it means
Italian feminine of Gabriel, from the Hebrew Gavriʾel ('God is my strength'). The same root as the archangel Gabriel; the Italian Gabriella is the feminine form's traditional spelling.
Gabriella is the Italian (and now international) feminine form of Gabriel, both from the Hebrew Gavriʾel ('God is my strength'). The archangel Gabriel — the messenger of the annunciation to Mary — gives the name its religious anchor. The Italian Gabriella has been used since the medieval period; the French Gabrielle is the cousin form. The English-speaking US picked up Gabriella in the 1990s; it surged after High School Musical (2006, where Vanessa Hudgens played Gabriella Montez). It's been in the US top 100 since 2007. Common shorts: Gabby, Gabi, Ella, Bri, Brie.
Popularity over time
peaked at #33 in 2009, currently #105 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
The shorts tree is deep: Gabby, Gabi, Ella (yes, the back half), Bri, Brie. Each circulates.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Gabriella Montez Vanessa Hudgens's character in High School Musical (2006)
Spelling variants
- Gabrielle
- Gabriela
Names with the same feeling
See Gabriella from another angle
By meaning
By style