UK girl's name
Gabby
Feminine diminutive form of Gabrielle, meaning "God is my strength.".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Gabby is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Gabby popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5687, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 5 births.
This profile covers 48 England and Wales registrations across 13 recorded years from 1997 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 48 living people in the UK are called Gabby. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Gabby ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2002, when 5 girls were registered as Gabby.
- • About 48 living people in the UK are estimated to have Gabby as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5687
2023
Births in 2023
3
Latest year
Peak year
2002
5 births
Estimated living
48
2026
Meaning
What does Gabby mean?
The name Gabby is a diminutive form of the name Gabrielle, which is the French feminine form of the Hebrew name Gabriel. Gabriel is derived from the Biblical Hebrew words "gever" meaning "strong man" or "warrior," and "el" meaning "God." Thus, the name Gabrielle and its shortened form Gabby can be interpreted as meaning "God is my strength" or "warrior of God."
The name Gabriel has its roots in the Old Testament, where it refers to an archangel who serves as a messenger from God to humans. The name first appears in the Book of Daniel, where the angel Gabriel is sent to interpret a vision for the prophet Daniel. Gabriel is also mentioned in the New Testament, where he delivers the news of the impending birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Gabrielle can be found in the 12th century, when it was borne by a French noblewoman named Gabrielle de Montbéliard. However, the name did not become widely popular until the 16th century, when it was used by prominent figures such as the French poet and philosopher Gabrielle d'Estrées, who was a mistress of King Henry IV of France.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures named Gabby or Gabrielle. One of the most famous is Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (1883-1971), the French fashion designer who revolutionized women's clothing and introduced the iconic Chanel suit. Another prominent figure is Gabrielle "Gaby" Deslys (1884-1920), a French actress and dancer who was one of the highest-paid entertainers of her time.
In literature, the name Gabrielle appears in works such as the play "Cyrano de Bergerac" by Edmond Rostand, where it is the name of the beautiful woman Cyrano loves from afar. The name is also associated with the character Gabrielle Suchon in the novel "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Milan Kundera.
Other notable individuals named Gabby or Gabrielle include Gabrielle "Gabby" Douglas (born 1995), an American gymnast and Olympic gold medalist, and Gabrielle Union (born 1972), an American actress and activist.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Gabby over time
The chart below shows babies named Gabby registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Gabby, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2023, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gabby by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Gabby was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #5687 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #5332 | 10 | 3 |
| 2000s | #4067 | 28 | 7 |
| 1990s | #3525 | 7 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Gabby
- Grace 79,208
- Georgia 48,838
- Gracie 18,387
- Georgina 15,599
- Gabriella 10,902
- Gemma 8,350
- Gabrielle 7,154
- Georgie 4,883
- Gabriela 3,300
- Genevieve 2,393
- Gracie-Mae 1,727
- Greta 1,283
FAQ
Gabby: questions and answers
How popular is the name Gabby in the UK right now?
In 2023, Gabby was ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Gabby most popular?
The peak year on record was 2002, with 5 babies registered as Gabby in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Gabby?
Feminine diminutive form of Gabrielle, meaning "God is my strength.".
How many people are called Gabby in the UK?
A total of 48 babies have been registered as Gabby across the 13 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.