Given name & surname
Abigail
“father of exaltation”·“the source of a father”
Abigail’s history moves from a biblical woman to Puritan naming and the literary figure of a lady’s maid. Hebrew interpretations include “father of exaltation” and an association with a father’s joy.
Original Hebrewאביגיל
Meaning & origin
What it means
Hebrew interpretations include “father of exaltation” and “the source of a father’s joy.” Its later use for a lady’s maid in English literature is a separate cultural association.
Where it comes from
Abigail is a biblical name with Hebrew roots. In Ireland it has also served as an English form of Gobnait, although the reason for that pairing is unclear.
How it developed
The Hebrew naming tradition and the later Irish pairing with Gobnait are separate contexts. Abigail’s use for Gobnait does not establish a shared linguistic derivation; Abbie and Abbey are recorded affectionate forms.
The story
The biblical Abigail married David after her earlier marriage to Nabal. Puritan influence helped the name spread in the seventeenth century. In literature it also became associated with a lady’s maid, including in The Scornful Lady of 1616; that use may echo the biblical Abigail describing herself as a servant.
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Abigail appears in 1 Chronicles 2:16, 1 Samuel 25:42.
- 1 Chronicles 2:16
- 1 Samuel 25:42
From biblical name research
Abigail through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 413,935
- 672 boys · 413,263 girls
- Most popular year
- 2003
- 15,955 babies
- 2025
- 4,941
- #41 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −40%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 4,941 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 41 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 40.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 15,932 in 2003. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (613). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 342,490 as a first name in 2020; 209 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.
Abigail’s family of names
In English usage, Abigail has a diminutive in Gail. Abigail has a related form in Abby. Abigail has a short form in Gail.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Abigail has relatives in 14 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
Hebrewwhere Abigail comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 38
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Abbydiminutive · English, Czech
- Abbiediminutive · English, Czech
- Avigailvariant · English
- Abbigailvariant
- Abigaylevariant · English
- Abbeydiminutive · English, Czech
- Abigalevariant · English
- Abigaelvariant · English, Danish
Show 30 moreShow fewer
- Abygailvariant
- Abbygailvariant
- Abagailvariant
- Gaildiminutive · English, Czech
- Abidiminutive · English, Polish
- Abievariant
- Abbidiminutive · English
- Abbeediminutive · English
- Gayleshort form · English
- Abigaillevariant · Italian, English
- Abbyevariant
- Avagailvariant
- Abiagealvariant
- Abeyvariant
- Abegaylevariant
- Abaigealvariant
- Abaigaelvariant
- Abbegalevariant
- Abbygaylevariant
- Abygaylevariant
- Abigailllikely variant
- Nabbydiminutive · English
- Abbsdiminutive · English, Czech
- Absdiminutive · English
- Avichayilvariant
- Avagaylevariant
- Avigalevariant
- Avagalevariant
- Abichailvariant
- Abhyvariant
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 15
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 50
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
- Abramshares a root
- Abnershares a root
- Abielshares a root
- Joabshares a root
- Eliabshares a root
- Jobshares a root
- Abimaelshares a root
- Abbashares a root
Show 42 moreShow fewer
- Abishaishares a root
- Abijahshares a root
- Abinershares a root
- Abiahshares a root
- Gileadshares a root
- Abiashares a root
- Abiezershares a root
- Abidanshares a root
- Abidashares a root
- Absalomshares a root
- Abiudshares a root
- Abiramshares a root
- Abinadabshares a root
- Abihailshares a root
- Gilalaishares a root
- Galalshares a root
- Abiatharshares a root
- Abiasaphshares a root
- Abi-Albonshares a root
- Gobnaitsee also
- 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
- Abigailkaalso known as · Czech
- Abinkaalso known as · Czech
- Abíčkaalso known as · Czech
People named Abigail
- Abigail AdamsFirst Lady of the United States from 1797 to 18011744–1818
- Abigail BreslinAmerican actressborn 1996
- Abigail JohnsonAmerican businesswoman, business executive, heiress, billionaireborn 1961
- Abigail FillmoreFirst Lady of the United States from 1850 to 18531798–1853
- Abigail SpanbergerAmerican politician and former intelligence officer (born 1979)
- Abigail SpencerAmerican actressborn 1981
- Abigail SpearsAmerican tennis playerborn 1981
- Abigail CowenAmerican actressborn 1998
- Abby MartinAmerican journalistborn 1984
Characters named Abigail: Abbie Carmichael (the TV series Law & Order).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
- Biblical names
- Most popular names in 2005
- Nicknames as full names: examples
- Revived nineteenth-century names
- Traditional female names
- Top Twins Names of 2006
- Most Popular Names of 2006
- Most Popular Names of 2005
- Most Popular Names of 2004
- Most Popular Names of 2003
- Most Popular Names of 2002
- Most Popular Names of 2001
- Northeastern Names
- Names That Are Candidates for Nicknames
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