Given name & surname
Abba
“a father”
Abba is used as a given name and a surname. One Arabic interpretation is “a father.”
Original GreekΑββα
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Arabic interpretation is “a father.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Arabic.
How it developed
From the Hebrew noun 'ab (אב), “father.”
From biblical name research
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1924. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Abba appears in Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6.
- Romans 8:15
- Galatians 4:6
From biblical name research
Abba through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 107
- 91 boys · 16 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 16 babies
- 2025
- 16
- #7,194 for boys · #14,956 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +100%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 11 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 7,194 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. It also appeared in 5 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 361 as a first name in 2020; 289 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Abba’s family of names
In English usage, Abba has a related form in Abbas. In English usage, Abba has a conventional equivalent in the German form Abbas. In German usage, Abba has a related form in Aba.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 44
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
- Abigailshares a root
- Abramshares a root
- Abnershares a root
- Abielshares a root
- Joabshares a root
- Eliabshares a root
- Jobshares a root
- Abimaelshares a root
Show 36 moreShow fewer
- Abishaishares a root
- Abijahshares a root
- Abishares a root
- Abinershares a root
- Abiahshares a root
- Abiashares a root
- Absalomshares a root
- Abiudshares a root
- Abiramshares a root
- Abinadabshares a root
- Abihailshares a root
- Abiezershares a root
- Abidanshares a root
- Abidashares a root
- Oholiabshares a root
- Moabshares a root
- Huram-abishares a root
- Chileabshares a root
- Ben-abinadabshares a root
- Bebaishares a root
- Barabbasshares a root
- Ahabshares a root
- Abitubshares a root
- Abitalshares a root
- Abishurshares a root
- Abishuashares a root
- Abishalomshares a root
- Abishagshares a root
- Abinoamshares a root
- Abimelechshares a root
- Abijamshares a root
- Abihudshares a root
- Abihushares a root
- Abiatharshares a root
- Abiasaphshares a root
- Abi-Albonshares a root
People named Abba
- Abba EbanIsraeli diplomat and politician (1915-2002)
- Abba KovnerJewish Hebrew poet, writer, and partisan leader (1918–1987)
- Abba AhimeirIsraeli journalist, historian, and political activist1897–1962
- Abba MariFrench rabbi1300–1400
- Abba Kyariformer Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari1952–2020
- Abba HushiIsraeli politician, longtime mayor of Haifa1898–1969
- Abba ArikhaJewish Babylonian scholar (175–247)160–247
- Abba Musa RimiNigerian politicianborn 1940
- Abba GumelNigerian mathematicianborn 1966
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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