UK boy's name
Gibril
An Arabic name meaning "God's servant" or "God's angel".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Gibril is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Gibril popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4270, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 7 births.
This profile covers 71 England and Wales registrations across 15 recorded years from 2002 to 2024. 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 57% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 71 living people in the UK are called Gibril. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Gibril ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2005, when 7 boys were registered as Gibril.
- • About 71 living people in the UK are estimated to have Gibril as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4270
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
2005
7 births
Estimated living
71
2026
Meaning
What does Gibril mean?
The name Gibril is derived from the Arabic name Jibreel or Jibrail, which is the Arabic rendering of the Hebrew name "Gabriel." It is a name of Semitic origin, tracing its roots to ancient Hebrew and Arabic languages. The name Gibril means "God is my strength" or "man of God."
In the Islamic tradition, Gibril (Jibreel) is the name of the archangel who revealed the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. He is mentioned several times in the Quran and is regarded as one of the four principal angels in Islamic angelology. In the Christian tradition, the name Gabriel refers to the archangel who announced the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Gibril can be found in the ancient Arabic text "Kitab al-Aghani" (The Book of Songs), which dates back to the 9th century AD. This text mentions a poet named Gibril ibn Bukhtishu, who lived during the Abbasid Caliphate.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Gibril. One of the most famous was Gibril Mahmud (1139-1188), a renowned Muslim jurist and theologian from Persia. Another notable bearer of the name was Gibril ibn Bakhtishu (778-829), a Nestorian Christian physician and scholar who served as the chief physician to the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid.
In the 13th century, Gibril ibn al-Qasri (1192-1261) was a renowned Andalusian Arab poet and philosopher from Spain. He is known for his contributions to the literary movement known as the "Andalusian Renaissance."
Gibril Nureddin (1548-1635) was a prominent Ottoman architect and engineer who designed several notable structures, including the Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Mosque in Istanbul.
In the 20th century, Gibril Deftor (1891-1963) was an Ethiopian writer, educator, and poet who played a significant role in the development of modern Amharic literature.
These are just a few examples of notable historical figures who have borne the name Gibril, demonstrating its rich cultural heritage and diverse geographical spread across various regions and time periods.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Gibril over time
The chart below shows babies named Gibril registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2002 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Gibril, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gibril by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Gibril 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 | #4289 | 11 | 3 |
| 2010s | #3596 | 23 | 5 |
| 2000s | #2813 | 37 | 7 |
Related
Names similar to Gibril
- George 121,258
- Gabriel 20,581
- Grayson 7,636
- Gregory 2,925
- Guy 2,646
- Gareth 2,092
- Gethin 1,880
- Georgie 1,872
- Gary 1,575
- Gavin 1,422
- Giovanni 1,252
- Grant 1,199
FAQ
Gibril: questions and answers
How popular is the name Gibril in the UK right now?
In 2024, Gibril was ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Gibril most popular?
The peak year on record was 2005, with 7 babies registered as Gibril in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Gibril?
An Arabic name meaning "God's servant" or "God's angel".
How many people are called Gibril in the UK?
A total of 71 babies have been registered as Gibril across the 15 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.