The first name Abigail
A girl’s name from Hebrew meaning “abigail”, “my father's joy”, “fountain of joy”.
Pronounced /ˈæb.ə.ɡeɪl/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Abigail means “abigail”, “my father's joy”, “fountain of joy” in Hebrew.
From Hebrew אֲבִיגַיִל (avigáyil, “Abigail”, literally “my Father's joy” or “fountain of joy”).
More names that mean joy.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 283 girls were named Abigail, making it the 171st most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2004, with 2,643 births (#19).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Abigail with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Abigail at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 4,941 girls born in the United States were named Abigail, the 41st most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2003, when 15,932 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Abigail in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Abigail in Catalan, Danish, Dutch, German, Polish, Portuguese and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Abigail
34 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Abigail AdamsFirst Lady of the United States from 1797 to 1801
- Abigail BreslinAmerican actress, born 1996
- Abigail JohnsonAmerican businesswoman, business executive, heiress, billionaire, born 1961
- Abigail FillmoreFirst Lady of the United States from 1850 to 1853
- Abigail SpanbergerAmerican politician and former intelligence officer (born 1979)
- Abigail SpencerAmerican actress, born 1981
- Abigail SpearsAmerican tennis player, born 1981
- Abigail CowenAmerican actress, born 1998
- Abigail Masham, Baroness MashamEnglish Lady of the Bedchamber, 1670–1734
- Abigail MacAmerican pornographic actress (b. 1988)
- Abigail StrateCanadian ski jumper, born 2001
- Abigail DillenExecutive, attorney and climate activist, born 2000
More Hebrew girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Abigail mean?
- Abigail means “abigail”, “my father's joy”, “fountain of joy” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name Abigail?
- From Hebrew אֲבִיגַיִל (avigáyil, “Abigail”, literally “my Father's joy” or “fountain of joy”).
- How popular is the name Abigail?
- In 2025, 283 girls born in England and Wales were named Abigail, ranking 171st. Its peak was 2004, with 2,643 births.
- What are nicknames for Abigail?
- Common nicknames for Abigail include Abbey, Abbi, Abby, Abi, Gail, Abbie.
- Is Abigail a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 413,935 US babies named Abigail since 1880 were girls.
- When was Abigail most popular?
- 2003 in the United States, when 15,932 babies were named Abigail, its highest rank at 6th.
- How do you pronounce Abigail?
- Abigail is /ˈæb.ə.ɡeɪl/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Abigail?
- Abigaille, Gayle and Avigail.