The first name Abner
A boy’s name from Hebrew meaning “father of light”, “father”, “light”.
Pronounced /ˈæb.nɚ/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Abner means “father of light”, “father”, “light” in Hebrew.
From Hebrew אבנר (Abner, “father of light”). From אָב (av, “father”) + נור (nur, “light”).
More names that mean light.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 15 boys were named Abner, making it the 1,705th most popular boys’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Abner with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Abner at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 274 boys born in the United States were named Abner, the 874th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2024, when 293 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.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Abner
- Ab
Famous people named Abner
14 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Abner ViníciusBrazilian footballer (born 2000)
- Abner Felipe Souza de AlmeidaBrazilian footballer, born 1996
- Abner BibermanAmerican actor, director, and screenwriter (1909–1977)
- Abner TeixeiraBrazilian boxer, born 1996
- Abner LacockAmerican politician (1770–1837)
- Abner MikvaAmerican politician, jurist and law professor (1926–2016)
- Abner DalrympleAmerican baseball player (1857-1939)
- Abner ZwillmanAmerican mob boss, 1904–1959
- Abner ShimonyAmerican physicist and philosopher of science (1928-2015)
- Abner CoburnAmerican politician (1803-1885)
- Arnold NewmanAmerican photographer (1918–2006)
- A. Linwood Holton, Jr.American politician (1923–2021)
More Hebrew boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Abner mean?
- Abner means “father of light”, “father”, “light” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name Abner?
- From Hebrew אבנר (Abner, “father of light”). From אָב (av, “father”) + נור (nur, “light”).
- How popular is the name Abner?
- In 2025, 15 boys born in England and Wales were named Abner, ranking 1,705th.
- What are nicknames for Abner?
- Common nicknames for Abner include Ab.
- Is Abner a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 9,454 US babies named Abner since 1880 were boys.
- When was Abner most popular?
- 2024 in the United States, when 293 babies were named Abner, its highest rank at 838th.
- How do you pronounce Abner?
- Abner is /ˈæb.nɚ/, 2 syllables.
- Is Abner also a surname?
- Yes. Abner is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.