Abigail
Meaning: not confirmed (origin debated)
About the name Abigail
The origin of Abigail is debated, and we couldn't confirm its meaning from a sourced etymology. A commonly cited theory links it to Hebrew roots, with the meaning âMy father's joyâ. Treat that as a theory, not a settled fact.
Why we say this: we only state a meaning as fact when a sourced etymology (Wiktionary, with its references) supports it. For Abigail we didn't find one we were confident in, so we show the popular explanation as a theory.
It has a classic feel. In 2025, Abigail ranked #41 for girls in the US, with 4,941 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 2003. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Abigail were girls.
- US rank 2025
- #41
- In 2015
- #7
- Babies in 2025
- 4,941
Popularity of Abigail, 1940â2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Nicknames for Abigail
- Abby
- Gail
Names similar to Abigail
- Anitaâgrace, gracious, graced with childâ
- Anaâgrace, gracious, graced with childâ
- AnnâGrace, favorâ
- AnnaâGrace, favorâ
- Anneâgrace, gracious, graced with childâ
- Annetteâgrace, graciousâ
- Annieâgrace, gracious, graced with childâ
- Bethanyâhouse of wretchednessâ
- DanielleâGod is my judgeâ
- Isabelâmy God is an oathâ
Name meanings marked or linked âWiktionaryâ are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.