Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Any thoughts on the name Gabriel for a boy?

48 replies

davinaroma · 28/12/2007 10:29

Hi fellow mumsnetters!

DH and I are getting really stuck for boys' names, although we have a million girls' names to chose from and as we're still not sure about the sex we need a shortlist for both!

At the moment, top of our lists are Isabella Amy for a girl or Gabriel Lewis (DH is big fan on the racing driver Lewis Hamilton!) or Gabriel James for a boy?

Does anyone have any thoughts on either of these? Any other ideas would also be very welcome!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
yurt1 · 28/12/2007 10:31

I like it (Gabriel). Prfer Amy to Isabella.

ds3 has an imaginary friend called Gabriel (and another one called Bill!)

christmascatkin · 28/12/2007 10:33

Lovely, lovely, lovely! Our Ds (6 months) was going to be Gabriel James and I allowed myself to be put off the name by a few people who said they didn't like it. Think it's a really lovely name.

hatrick · 28/12/2007 10:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

christmascatkin · 28/12/2007 10:34

And Isabella is really nice too-our niece is an Isabella

stepfordwife · 28/12/2007 10:35

love it, love it, love it..
when i was pregnant with no.3, that was my boy's name, but everyone else - dh, dm and ds, etc, hated it! shouldn't put you off, i know...

but then i had dd, so problem sorted
good luck!

BrieVinDeAlkaSeltzer · 28/12/2007 10:35

Gabriel is a lovely name.

sparklesandwine · 28/12/2007 10:36

i love Gabriel and would loved to have had that for one of my boys but we couldn't agree at the time, although i do still love the names we chose!

I like Isabella more than Amy, if i'm honest i don't really like the name Amy but think thats because the one i know isn't pleasant! (sorry!)

Good Luck

stepfordwife · 28/12/2007 10:36

and love the name isabella too

gegs73 · 28/12/2007 10:36

I think Gabriel is a really nice name.Only thing is what would it be shortened to by his friends when he was older? Would they call him Gabby?? Other than that I really like it.

yurt1 · 28/12/2007 10:36

It is getting more popular though- I know a couple of Gabriels (as well as ds3's imaginary friend ) That might not worry you. When we named ds1 he had a very unusual name (people would comment on it), which then was in the top 50 and now I hear quite a bit when I go out and about. I suspect the same may happen to Gabriel.

FlllightAttendant · 28/12/2007 10:37

Beautiful. It would have been very high on my list but it just didn't suit Ds somehow. They come with their own name, it almost seems like sometimes..

gegs73 · 28/12/2007 10:37

I really like Isabella, that was going to be our girls name if I had not have had two boys.

FlllightAttendant · 28/12/2007 10:37

could be happily shortened to Gabe.

LoveAngelGabriel · 28/12/2007 10:39

Gabriel is lovely. I used to hate it, but a friend called her son Gabriel and it has really grown on me. Isabella is a beautiful name, but incredibly common round these parts (norf London).

OrmIrian · 28/12/2007 10:40

Very good name.

Original poster
davinaroma · 28/12/2007 10:44

Thanks for all your messages!

I was worried that Gabriel was a name that would divide people so I'm really happy with the response from fellow mumsnetters!

Yurt 1 - am really curious about your ds1's name....let us know if you would be happy to share!

OP posts:
HonoriaGlossop · 28/12/2007 10:44

Gabriel is lovely, but I would say NOOOOOOOOOOO to Gabriel Lewis. I just think they are names from two different 'ponds' if you see what I mean? Gabriel James much better. Gabriel is a stylish, intelligent sounding name and lewis is a jarring note on the end of that IMO.

Isabella is lovely too.

Good name choices. They are EXACTLY what DH and I liked best (except that we found one name we liked even more and had en extra layer of meaning for us when we had ds. But he was nearly a Gabriel)

My DH did slightly worry that he would be taunted with the name at school - "Gay Gabe" and all that. He has worked in a boy's school for 15 years so I think he knows what he's on about unfortunately. However it depends what kind of school your kids go to of course

wheresthehamster · 28/12/2007 10:47

Sorry to be the fly in the ointment but know a couple of Gabriels and it's just too feminine. It reminds me of Annabel and Isabel and of course Gabrielle.

wheresthehamster · 28/12/2007 10:51

Meant to say as well that it is inevitable it will be shortened to Gay in the playground

HonoriaGlossop · 28/12/2007 10:53

oh dear it seems wheresthehamster and I have had the same thought re the playground.

I hope it doesn't put you off though....it is a lovely name. I think it's not feminine....and Gabe is a lovely, strong, maanly sounding shortening IMO

OrmIrian · 28/12/2007 11:07

Look if kids can be called Kirrily and Tyson without having the p* ripped out of them in the playground, I think Gabriel will manage . Depends on the child's personality as well as the moniker as to how well they survive.

UnquietDad · 28/12/2007 11:08

I think it's a really cool name, personally, but be prepared for him to get called Gayboy at school. Unfortunate but inevitable.

HonoriaGlossop · 28/12/2007 11:11

agree Orm! As you so rightly say there are some god awful names out there so Gabriel will not be the only more 'unusual' choice.

Actually it makes me really really angry that being called 'gay' is still the worst insult in the eyes of teenagers. It's like that in DH's school - it's the absolute worst insult you can throw at someone. You would think we might have moved on one tiny bit in this day and age.

Davina, Go for Gabriel! If you change your mind you will have me to answer to young lady!

CrushWithEyeliner · 28/12/2007 11:11

no to Gabriel Lewis - sounds wrong but Gabriel James is Beautiful

OrmIrian · 28/12/2007 11:14

Agree about the 'gay' insult. It makes me so cross. Am always telling DS#1 off for it but he insists he 'doesn't mean it like that' .