Gabby is a diminutive of Gabrielle or Gabriel, from Hebrew, meaning "God is my strength."
Gabby is most commonly a diminutive of Gabrielle or Gabriella — the feminine forms of Gabriel, the Hebrew name meaning "God is my strength" or "man of God." Gabriel appears in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament as an archangel and divine messenger: it is Gabriel who announces to Mary that she will bear Jesus, and Gabriel who appears to Daniel and to Muhammad in Islamic tradition. Few names carry as much weight as a messenger between the human and the divine.
As a standalone given name, Gabby emerged fully in its own right during the twentieth century, shedding its diminutive status and becoming a confident independent choice. American gymnast Gabby Douglas — full name Gabrielle — brought the name into extraordinary global visibility when she became the first African-American woman to win the individual all-around gold medal in gymnastics at the 2012 London Olympics. Her radiant, groundbreaking performance gave Gabby a distinct association with athletic grace and historical achievement.
The informal warmth of Gabby — its two-syllable bounce, its open vowels — has always made it feel like a name that fills a room. In everyday speech "gabby" as an adjective means talkative and sociable, which gives the name an extra layer of personality even if unintended. Parents choosing Gabby often appreciate that it can anchor itself in the serious biblical and historical weight of Gabriel while reading in daily life as bright, approachable, and full of life — a name equally at home on a medal podium and at a kitchen table.