MEANING & HISTORY
What does Gamaliel mean?
Gamaliel is a Hebrew theophoric name, joining a reward element with El, God. The conventional interpretation is my reward is God.
It appears in biblical naming both in the Hebrew Bible and in the account of the learned Gamaliel in Acts. Those scriptural bearers provide historical associations rather than new word meanings. The name’s complete religious statement should be distinguished from a general modern idea of reward, success, or material wealth.
References for this explanation
Pronunciation & syllables
Dictionary readings are kept by language. Select the reading that matches your intended pronunciation. Dots show the source’s written divisions; they are not a universal syllable count across languages.
Wiktionary contributors / Kaikki / Wiktextract · CC BY-SA 4.0
Origin and name formation
Language-specific accounts from the dictionary. A shared spelling can have more than one history.
EnglishEtymology & source
From Middle English Gamaliel, from Late Latin Gamaliēl, from Koine Greek Γαμαλιήλ (Gamaliḗl), from Aramaic גַמַלִיאיֵל (Ḡamalīʾēl), from Biblical Hebrew גַּמְלִיאֵל (Gamlīʾēl). Compare Classical Syriac ܓ݂ܰܡܰܠܺܝܐܝܶܠ (Ḡamalīʾēl).
A male given name from Hebrew (“God is my reward”).
Wiktionary: Gamaliel (English) ↗ · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
SpanishEtymology & source
a male given name, equivalent to English Gamaliel
Wiktionary: Gamaliel (Spanish) ↗ · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Adapted from Wiktionary contributors via Kaikki/Wiktextract. Source accounts remain in their original English; editorial summaries and filters are adapted. Attribution and downloads
Use in Philippine-linked records
Public-record transcription
1
eligible source records · 2001
This spelling is reported in an openly licensed transcription of elected-candidate records. This is a record count, not a birth count or national popularity measure.
OpenHalalan / COMELEC ↗PSA · OFFICIAL BIRTH RECORDS
Gamaliel in the birth records
Exact spelling and stated year in the published name tables. Read the counts as individual snapshots.
Tables included: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The 2016 fact sheet lists five names per sex; the later tables include ten. Missing counts are not inferred. Sex categories follow the official tables, independently of dictionary gender labels. Explore the official tables →
Similar names to Gamaliel
Names with a similar opening or ending, ordered by spelling distance. Similar spelling does not imply the same meaning or origin.
Names in this collection
- Gabriel♂Man of God; also interpreted through strength and God
- Mariel♀Mary-family form with an el ending
- Salatiel·Biblical Shealtiel-name form; I have asked of God
- Ariel♂♀Lion of God
- Daniel♂God is my judge
- Gabriela♀Feminine form of Gabriel; divine-strength association
- Gadel♀Rhyming formation from Adel
- Gail♀Short form of Abigail
What rhymes with Gamaliel?
Matches share a dictionary-supplied rhyme key in the stated language. Check the recorded reading; another language or accent can change the rhyme.
- AbelSpanish · /-el/
- ArielSpanish · /-el/
- DanielSpanish · /-el/
- EmanuelSpanish · /-el/
- FidelSpanish · /-el/
- GabrielSpanish · /-el/
- GiselleSpanish · /-el/
- IsabelSpanish · /-el/
- IsmaelSpanish · /-el/
- IsraelSpanish · /-el/
- LeonelSpanish · /-el/
- MabelSpanish · /-el/
Names with a similar written ending
Spelling suggestions; these are not verified phonetic rhymes.
Explore Gamaliel further
Follow the sources
- OpenHalalan — pinned 2001 COMELEC transcription (opens in a new tab)
Source-reported given-name form in a row with a separate explicit middle initial; ODbL-1.0.
- COMELEC — 2001 List of Elected Candidates (opens in a new tab)
Original document identified by the transcription; selected PDF entries were spot-checked, not every imported row.
- Wiktionary contributors — Gamaliel (English) (opens in a new tab)
Language-specific given-name etymology; shared spelling does not prove every bearer has this origin.
- Wiktionary contributors — Gamaliel (Spanish) (opens in a new tab)
Language-specific given-name etymology; shared spelling does not prove every bearer has this origin.
- Behind the Name — Gamaliel (opens in a new tab)
Consulted account of the name’s formation, relevant root elements, or explicitly linked base name.