Gabriel

[MolatovBomb]

I'm not expecting another baby (we have 2 DDs) but should we be fortunate to conceive again and it's a boy, I love, love, LOVE the name Gabriel.

My concern about it is NNs he'd get; mostly from the 'gay' sound at the beginning of Gabriel.

Would I be inflicting a lifetime of irritation and ridicule upon my potential boy?

I'd appreciate any feedback! TIA

Depending on where you live (now, and in future, and for DS lifelong) I'm afraid the answer may be yes.

If you knew you would be living only in places populated by MNetters who love the nam (and even if they hated it would be tactful) then yes it's fine. Only you can weigh this up for your circumstances.

It's fine.

So what if anyone says "gay"? They'll just make themselves look silly. There's nothing wrong with being gay and most young people realise that.

My friend lives in Glasgow and her son Gabriel isn't teased for his name. He is known as Gabe

There's always going to be a silly nn with whatever name you pick. I love the name Gabriel and the one I used to know went by the name of 'Gabs'.

I absolutely adore Gabriel. Goodness, don't worry about such things. Who cares. He ll manage it and be stronger for it.

I have a 2yo Gabriel. I absolutely love his name. We call him Gabe, Gabes, Gabey- all sorts! The day after I had him though (and obv had already decided/announced name) FIL blurted out "he'll get called gay!" when we werent even talking about the name and in quite a nasty way so I take it he didnt like it. I said "er no he won't!" and it's never been mentioned since . Plus, so effing what if he does- kids can make a daft nickname out of any name. We'll deal with it.

I think children now are maybe more open minded about names than our generation were. I know this is a horrible generalization.

Love it.

"There's nothing wrong with being gay and most young people realise that."

True, but in teenspeak "gay" means "lame" or "pathetic" and that is the usage that is filtering down into primary schools as well now. No-one has yet found a way to stop such a change.

Love Gabriel

I have a Gabriel. He is ten and has never been teased about his name, people comment that it is a lovely name. I have a sweet nickname for him based on his name.

Go for it.

Go for it. Its a beautiful name.

I work in schools (Primary and Secondary) and there (quite rightly) is a ZERO tolerance approach to the use of the word gay in the derrogatory manner that Edith describes.

There is EVERYTHING that we can do to change it.

When I named DS Oscar, someone suggestion I shouldn't because Oscar Wilde is a massive homosexual! What a bizarre thing to say, huh?

Gabriel = lovely name

Thanks all for your replies! For me, Gabriel has everything going for it as it sounds beautiful and connects both in meaning and sound with our DDs names. I would hate for a son to be teased for the outlined reasons, though. 'GAY-be' just sounds like such an obvious tease. Of course there is nothing wrong with being gay, but to be called this as a young man could be emasculating and hurtful.

That said, I've loved the name for many, many years and no other boys name does it for me the way that Gabriel does! Just the look of it written down is beautiful.

Just need to a) get pregnant b) with a boy, then!

Thanks again

Achilles - do you by any chance call your DS 'Angel'? Gabriel is on our list for next baby if a boy - but with Angel as a nickname (at least until he gets older)

I wouldn't because of the awful nickname potential even though it is a lovely name

I have a Gabriel, he's 18 months. I adore his name and I'm so pleased we used it. In my experience of teenagers they'll always find something to tease others about so you could call him any name and he might be teased.
We've had no negative comments at all although he does get Gabrielle regularly when people don't read his name properly.

Don't think it'll mean he'll behave like an angel though, mine should've been called Damien! :o

Gabriel (nn Gay) was a popular name for boys about 60 years ago in Ireland.

My Dad knows loads of men called Gay.

My Gabey is 21mo. He's certainly not an angel though! Anything but.

He also gets Gabrielle because people can't read his name properly and don't twig until I say as in angel. Never had a negative reaction.

Saucepanman - do I know you in rl? Um, does the word Nexus mean anything to you?

I love it. It's a beautiful name.

Oops, i failed to answer question!

Gabriel = lovely.

My DS is Gabriel, it never crossed my mind before we named him that he could be teased in this way. And now that it's been pointed out to me by MN it doesn't bother me. We are, rightly, moving away from a society in which the term gay is used as an insult. One day it will and should be just another word, referring to a sexual preference that is neither here nor there.

Plus kids will always find things to tease each other about. I've got a distinctive birthmark on my face I got teased about at school - nothing my parents could have done about that. And you grow up and these things become a distant memory - I forget about my birthmark now, I go months at a time without thinking about it, because now I'm an adult nobody gives a stuff about it.