Gabi Götz

“My name is Gabriel Götz but I often go by Gabi (Gubby), when introducing myself. The name, Gabi, originates from Hungary as a common abbreviation of the name Gabor, which is the simple Hungarian translation of Gabriel. My dad and his first family smuggled themselves into America back when Hungary under communist rule, resulting in a very interesting and expansive extended family. My parents thought it would be appropriate to keep that culture alive and give me the name, Gabi and my sister the name, Réka. As far as the English meaning goes, I share the name Gabriel with one of the Archangels, but I don’t think that was deliberate because my family never grew up extremely religious. The reason I tell people I like to go by Gabi, despite how hard it is for people to pronounce it right, is because it allows me to feel more comfortable with the person, because of how used to the name I am.”