Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Gabrielle?

36 replies

Fransie · 16/09/2025 17:28

Hi all, I have one DD named Charlotte and I’m expecting DD2. Recently while on holiday I met a lovely young woman named Gabrielle and have been in love with the name since.

Charlotte is 7 and so far we have avoided any nicknames but I sort of like Gabby or even Elle as a nickname anyway.

DH is worried people would pronounce it Gay-bree-elle instead of Gah-bree-elle though.

What are your thoughts on Gabrielle?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Pinkyhere · 17/09/2025 22:55

Gorgeous name.
Also like Gabriella but Gabrielle feels more elegant to me.

SwedishEdith · 17/09/2025 20:12

Love it. Prefer Gabrielle to Gabriella as well and like the nicknames.

MrsJehJeh · 17/09/2025 19:35

I used to be a teacher and one of my most memorable students was a French girl named Gabrielle, this was when I was teaching in an intentional school. She was very outgoing, intelligent, kind and a real pleasure to teach. She never went by a nickname (I found many of the French students didn’t though). I think it’s a really beautiful name and I don’t think you will have anyone using the Gabe sound as most are familiar enough with Gabrielle/Gabriella to know which sound it is.

Calliopespa · 17/09/2025 08:00

Calliopespa · 17/09/2025 07:59

I like Genevieve!

Show quote history

to which I would add, I like the softer G sound; I'm never a great fan of a hard G.

Calliopespa · 17/09/2025 07:59

BeaLola · 16/09/2025 23:28

I like both Gabrielle or Gabriella but I do not like Gabby as a NN.

Just throwing it out there -Genevieve ?

I like Genevieve!

Nushi21 · 17/09/2025 06:43

I love the name Gabrielle. First thing I thought of was the Chanel perfume. Now I’ve got the singer Gabrielle’s songs in my head and I have to watch Bridget Jones’s Diary again now!
Keep the name, it’s beautiful.

user1492757084 · 17/09/2025 02:33

Gabrielle and Gabriella are both lovely names.

If you like Ella as a nick name choose Gabriella.

Snugglemonkey · 16/09/2025 23:35

I know a Gabrielle who goes by Brie.

BeaLola · 16/09/2025 23:28

I like both Gabrielle or Gabriella but I do not like Gabby as a NN.

Just throwing it out there -Genevieve ?

Mumski45 · 16/09/2025 23:02

I think Gabrielle is a lovely timeless name although my DD has ended up with some unusual nicknames courtesy of DH.

Calliopespa · 16/09/2025 22:58

Pianoaholic · 16/09/2025 22:55

I think it's lovely. I taught a girl called Gabrielle and she was such a good pupil so I suppose it has a nice association .
She shortened it to Gaby.
I had a lovely tabby and white cat called Gabby, so I like that too!

Gabby the tabby!😺

Pianoaholic · 16/09/2025 22:55

I think it's lovely. I taught a girl called Gabrielle and she was such a good pupil so I suppose it has a nice association .
She shortened it to Gaby.
I had a lovely tabby and white cat called Gabby, so I like that too!

Petesbowtie9 · 16/09/2025 22:33

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 16/09/2025 20:04

I've always liked it. There was a Gabby Willis in Neighbours with fabulous curly hair. I think I was 8, she clearly made an impression on me.

One of the reasons I called my daughter Gabrielle !

OopsieeDaisy · 16/09/2025 22:11

Gabrielle is a lovely name. I don’t think you’d have issues with the pronunciation - as pps have said it’s the male version that starts with the Gabe sound.

Plastictreees · 16/09/2025 20:15

I don’t like ‘Gabby’ at all, which will be the likely shortening. If that’s not a problem for you though then you should go for it!

CarrotCakeMuffins · 16/09/2025 20:13

Gabrielle and Gabriella - both beautiful names. Another possible shortening is Gabz but that was short lived and the one I know is now shortened to Gabby.

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 16/09/2025 20:04

I've always liked it. There was a Gabby Willis in Neighbours with fabulous curly hair. I think I was 8, she clearly made an impression on me.

Calliopespa · 16/09/2025 19:57

I think Gabriella would help ensure you got the Gab sound not the Gabe sound.

namerrig · 16/09/2025 19:56

I sadly went to school with a horrible Gabrielle so it’s not a personal favourite, but I do love Gabby

Alexandrine · 16/09/2025 19:42

No, DH is worrying for no reason - in the UK for girls it’s always “Gah- bree -elle”. The boys are “Gay- bree- uhl.”

Personally I prefer the sound of the more elaborate Gabriella; and I assume you are happy with the nn Gabby? But if so, nothing wrong with Gabrielle - it’s familiar, easy to spell and she’ll be the only one in her class as I don’t think it’s ever been super popular.

Original poster
Fransie · 16/09/2025 19:39

Thank you all, I don’t mind Gabby or Elle as nicknames, even gabs I’m fine with. The young woman we met said she had never gone by a nickname and if people ever did shorten it they tended to only do it in text messages where it can be lengthier to type vs in actual conversation where people tend to be fine with 3 syllables but not so much with 4.
I don’t really like Gabriella as much, I’m not sure why.

OP posts:
TheeNotoriousPIG · 16/09/2025 19:33

I like it!

24Dogcuddler · 16/09/2025 19:24

Lovely and people will pronounce it correctly as Gabrielle the singer is still pretty well known.

TimSamandLulu · 16/09/2025 19:20

I think its beautiful and prefer Gabrielle to Gabriella.

LlynTegid · 16/09/2025 19:18

I think your DH is wrong. What you must be prepared for is abbreviation- Gabs, or Gabby, for example.

Swipe left for the next trending thread