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

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

Baby names

Nicknames for Gabriel that aren't "Gabe"!

90 replies

Sparklies · 13/05/2011 15:45

Further to my post yesterday:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/baby_names/1213006-Still-stuck-between-two-names-and-now-two-weeks-old-Help?pg=1

Thank you very much everyone for your ideas! I actually added up the "definite Raphael"s and "definite Gabriel"s just as a matter of interest (the online equivalent of tossing a coin maybe) and it was 8 - 8 each. Argh!!

Anyway, given I do like Gabriel, I just have a problem with the nickname "Gabe" - so I said to DH if we can come up with a better nickname, we'll go with Gabriel Flynn.

Obviously when he's older we have a lot less control over who calls him what, but if he has an established nickname when he's younger maybe it'll make the difference. And besides, I don't have to call him "Gabe" unless he demands it of me and if that's the case I'll deal with it as it'll be his wish.

So what other nicknames are there/could we get away with? Somebody suggested Gabe pronounced "Gay-bee" which isn't too bad, but I wondered how realistically we could get away with say "Eli" (and if so, how would it be pronounced?) Would "El-lee" sound too feminine? Or indeed any other variants?

Thanks!! Almost there - you've all been great!!

OP posts:

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moomaa · 13/05/2011 15:56

I don't think El-lee sounds too feminine personally but think people will assume he is called Elliot, especially as that is a popular name at the moment. Elliot is quite a nice name, could that be a possiblity?

Flynn is a nice name too.

I've been trying to think of a nice way to say this but I can't, very recently I heard people laughing about a boy called Gabriel because of his name, I wouldn't pick it for that reason personally. I think you'd need to be a particular character to carry off that name and you can't make assumptions about their personality.

There are plenty of Raphaels around here and I don't think it has teh same issues.

wheniwishuponastar · 13/05/2011 16:03

i know a gabriel - no one calls him by a nickname - and i would say yes, he is a very particular type of personality (i couldn't imagine him being called anything else). his mum is a well respected artist.

EdithWeston · 13/05/2011 16:06

You seem to be saying "Eli" as "Ellie" which really is a predominantly girls' name (and in common use). And it isn't very like Gabriel, is it? Gay is also a girls' name.

I think Raphael is the nicer name anyhow IMHO.

Likesshinythings · 13/05/2011 16:07

I am the proud owner of a Gabriel. His best friend at nursery nicknamed him Gaby Baby and that has stuck!
fwiw we always get really positive comments when people ask his name.

midnightexpress · 13/05/2011 16:08

I suppose the obvious problem with Gabriel is the possibility of the NN 'Gay' (which had never struck me until someone on MN mentioned it). In fact, in some places, I think it's quite a common NN and (afaik) used to be quite acceptable.

I adore the name Gabriel and also Raphael, btw, but apart from Gabe, I can't really see many NN options. I like Gabe too.

Sparklies · 13/05/2011 16:11

I really like Elliot - it was on my shortlist, but DH wasn't as big a fan unfortunately.

I agree with you about the name to a certain extent, but I think he could probably pull it off. I do like Raphael but there are a lot of assumptions that he'd be of Mediterranean origin - whereas he's red haired with blue eyes. And "Gabriel" goes better with his siblings names and with "Flynn" as a middle name.

If we can't come up with a nickname we'd try and enforce "Gabriel" as his name and discourage "Gabe" if we can.

OP posts:

Sparklies · 13/05/2011 16:13

Edith - yep, I was thinking "Ell-lee" was sounding too feminine, but it's closer to the sound in "Gabriel" otherwise I'd go for "Ee-lie" which is too far away from the sound in "Gabriel".

The whole "gay" thing is an issue because I know what children can be like.. especially as he has red hair just to compound it!

OP posts:

EdithWeston · 13/05/2011 16:15

As well as Elliot, there's Elias, Ellis and Elijah. Might DH like one of those?

Happygochuckie · 13/05/2011 16:18

Hey I know a little Gabriel, And he is known as...wait for it...'Angel' :) His family often called him Angel Gabriel, then that just got shortened to Angel. It suits him though, they are quite a quirky family so he pulls it off really well.
IMO, Gabey or Gabe are cute for nicknames. I also know a teen Rafael, who has always gone by 'Raffy'.

Sparklies · 13/05/2011 16:30

EdithWeston - DH vetoed all of those too! "Ellis" was another one I liked, and I also liked "Elias" too.. ah well! He dislikes most names so the fact here is one he even likes at all is a small miracle..

Angel is a nice name but I don't know if it suits this one or not!

I dunno, maybe "Gabe" (or variants) will grow on me, but for some reason it just reminds me of "Gape" which I don't like as a word! DH thinks I'm silly, but I'm not the one vetoing every boy's name in existence..!

OP posts:

EdithWeston · 13/05/2011 16:52

If he likes archangels, you could try out Uriel and Michael?

Or just murder him and have a free choice?

shouldnotbehere · 13/05/2011 16:54

Angel

JoanofArgos · 13/05/2011 16:56

I don't think there are any which don't sound very contrived/affected to be honest.

robincousins · 13/05/2011 17:20

it is possible to just insist on using a full version of the name . we agonised over using bethan because we weren't that keen on beth , people often asked is she Beth for short and my mother when she was younger would try to use it but was firmly told know her name is bethan not beth , so far at 18 she has never been know as beth and if anyone calls her beth they are told firmly i'm bethan never beth . even though we were often asked is she beth we state firmly no she's bethan .if she had ended up as beth at school we would have grown to love it as we love her .

the only other possibility i can think of as a nn for gabriel is to use his initial and call him "G" or Gee or possibily Gable but i'm not sure whether you'd like that

by the way our gabriel is gabriel to everyone outside home , i'm the only one who very occasionally calls him gabe but he prefers gabriel as he at 4 is very quick to tell anyone who does try to shorten it . we also get many positive comments on what a lovely name it is .

Sparklies · 13/05/2011 17:26

Edith - I think you may be right. Murder is probably the only way forward :(

RobinCousins - Heh - we have a "Bethan" as our oldest and she is definitely "Bethan" and not "Beth"! Very good point - we manage it with her, so..

OP posts:

whyme2 · 13/05/2011 17:30

Use Flynn as his nickname/shortened name and keep Gabriel for sunday best.

wheniwishuponastar · 13/05/2011 17:32

G is the only nn i like the sound of so far. Gable is quite nice too - and cute - but not that short.

whyme2 · 13/05/2011 17:38

I second G. It has a nice boyish tone to it.

aswellasyou · 13/05/2011 17:40

Bri (pronounced bree obviously) is another option. But I would just call him Gabriel all the time. My daughter's name could be shortened but I wouldn't chose to unless she wants to.

MsChanandlerBong · 13/05/2011 18:19

I agree - Gabriel is such a lovely name it doesn't need a nickname, but if you really want to shorten it I think G is good (and masculine!).

ShoutyHamster · 13/05/2011 18:32

G is good.

Friend's little boy is Gabey so far - also like.

But, how much do you really dislike Gabe? Because it's one of those names for which there isn't really a very different obvious short form (not like, say, Bella or Izzy for Isabella). So I think the chances are very very high that he might end up as a Gabe regardless...

Very nice name though!

thisisyesterday · 13/05/2011 18:37

I have a Gabriel and no-one ever shortened his name until I started doing it, then they followed suit, and I think this is quite normal

generally people don't use short versions of names unless they know the parents do it too.
Hence DP has a name that has a very common shortening that no-one has ever called him by because he doesn't like it and has never used it. He was known by his full name until he was at secondary school when he started using a different shortening.

anyway, our Gabriel goes under a variety of names. Gabriel, Gabe, Gabey, Gabes, Gabesy, Wailbriel (when he was little and miserable!) and the classic "Gayboy" which is how ds1 pronounced it when he was born

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PurveyorOfBaloney · 13/05/2011 18:41

How about Abe or Abey, I think the fit well enough. Abe is pretty cute actually

mrsmeadweed · 13/05/2011 18:51

I know a Gabriel, and he is known as Gabs.

robincousins · 13/05/2011 18:57

i'd also wondered about a but purveyor beat me too it although might cause confususion people thinking he's actually abraham

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