Abigail Name, Meaning, Origin, History, And Popularity

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In This Article

Origin, Meaning, And History of Abigail

Abigail is a given name representing a woman of stoic strength. The name was derived from the Hebrew words “ab,” meaning “father,” and “g-y-l” meaning “to rejoice.” The name, therefore, stands for “father’s joy” or “cause of joy.” In Arabic, Abigail refers to “wise.” The name is typically used as a girl’s name and a surname today. The name has diverse variations like Abagael, Abagail, Abagale, Abageal, Abagil, Abaigael, Abbegail, Abbegale, Abbigael, Abbigail, Abbigale, and Abigel.

In the Bible, Abigail was the second wife of King David in the Book of Samuel. She was an Israelite woman married to Nabal, upon whose death she was married to David and became the mother of one of David’s sons. The tale appears in the Book of Chronicles. She is often described as a smart, beautiful woman who prevented bloodshed by approaching King David with her intelligence and diplomacy.

Nicknames like Abbey, Abby, Abbi, Abbie, Abi, Abs, Aby, Gail, and Gayle can go well with the moniker. Abigail stayed among the top names in the US for centuries. Its diminutive, Abby, also saw a surge in popularity in 2003.

The name also finds mention in popular culture. Abigail is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the video game series “Final Fight” and, more recently “Street Fighter V.” He is a member of the Mad Gear Gang and is one of the lieutenants of Belger. Mother Abigail is the protagonist in the thriller novel by Stephen King “The Stand,” which was later adapted into a movie. She sees visions from God and loses her foresight before disappearing into the wilderness. The name is particularly popular among millennial parents fascinated by biblical figures.

Abigail

Meaning Father's joy

Gender Girl

Religion Christianity

Origin Hebrew

Lucky Number 5

Syllables Three

Length 1 word, 7 letters, 4 vowels, 3 consonants

Type Medium length and moderately easy to pronounce

How To Pronounce Abigail?

Pronounced as ah-bee-gale

The way you pronounce a name can make all the difference.

Listen to the sound of the name Abigail in English.

Famous People With The Name Abigail

Abigail SpencerAmerican actress known for her roles in “Mad Men” and “Grey’s Anatomy”
Abigail AdamsFirst second lady of the US, wife of President John Adams
Abigail CowenAmerican actress known for her role in “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”
Abigail BreslinAmerican actress known for her role in “Little Miss Sunshine”
Abigail DisneyAmerican film producer, philanthropist, and social activist

Abigail On The Popularity Chart

The popularity of Abigail picked up during the Puritanical times. Since then, it has fluctuated in popularity and remains a popular name and surname. Check out the graphs below for more information.

Popularity Over Time

With 1575 babies per million given the name in 1980, Abigail rose to its peak in 2006 with 15,630 babies being named the same. However, its popularity declined in 2020, with only 7874 babies per million being named Abigail.

Source: Social Security Administration

Rank Over Time

In 1980, Abigail was ranked 176. The name saw a huge leap in popularity and entered the list of top 20 names in the latter half of the 1990s. From 2001 to 2017, it consistently remained in the top 10 most popular names and slightly dropped to number 12 in 2020.

Source: Social Security Administration

Abigail On MomJunction Popularity Chart

Know how popular the name Abigail is among the MomJunction readers. We used a unique approach to gather relevant insights for creating this popularity chart by observing the interactions and interest around the name on our platform. See what the trend has been among our readers over these past years.

Names With Similar Sound As Abigail

Are you looking for alternative similar-sounding names for Abigail? Check out the options below.

Popular Sibling Names For Abigail

If you are looking for some matching sibling names that resonate with Abigail, check our suggestions here.

Boy Sibling Names For Abigail

Find matching brother names for Abigail and create a wonderful team of siblings.

Girl Sibling Names For Abigail

Looking for some suitable sister names for Abigail? Check out our collection of beautiful and unique names.

Other Popular Names Beginning With A

Looking for more baby names starting with the letter A to resonate with your family’s naming tradition or to rhyme with the sibling names? Find a range of alternative names starting with this letter.

Names With Similar Meaning As Abigail

Did you like the meaning of Abigail? Find out more names with similar meanings to Abigail from the list below.

Popular Songs On The Name Abigail

Abigail has a lyrical presence in various songs. Check them out here.

Song	Artist
Abigail	Frankie Cosmos
Abigail	Motionless In White
Abigail (Kero Kero Bonito Remix)	Frankie Cosmos
Abigail	King Diamond
Abigail (Casio Version)	Frankie Cosmos
Abigail	Paolo Nutini
Abigail	Maneli Jamal
Abigail (Great Scraps Demo)	Frankie Cosmos

Acrostic Poem On Abigail

Dive into the lyrical charm of the name Abigail with this acrostic poem. Witness how each letter paints together a story, capturing the name’s individuality, strength, vitality, and sophistication. Inspiring, is it? Why not try a similar poem that describes what you think of your baby’s personality?

Ambitious and active, never resting for a minute.

Bearer of the good news that echoes through the brook.

Infectious laughter illuminating hearts with humor.

Glimmering like a star in the midnight sky.

Adorable like a sweet-smelling rose.

In the quiet of the night, you are a burst of starlight.

Lighthearted and loyal, you sure deserve all things royal.

Abigail’s Zodiac Sign And Birth Star As Per Vedic Astrology

Vedic astrology, also called Jyotisha, provides deep insights into a person’s life based on celestial positions at birth. Rashi and nakshatra, which are an integral part of Jyotisha, are believed to influence an individual’s personality and life events. The following sections give you rashi-related information, such as the associated letters, elements, ruling body, quality, and nakshatra for the name abigail. These details help analyze a person’s characteristics, personality, and behavior.

Zodiac Sign (Rashi)

As shown in the following table, each rashi is associated with specific sounds, which are often used as the starting letters of names for newborns in Hindu families. Each rashi is represented by a figure and one of the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether (Space). One ruling celestial body, known as its 'rashi lord' or 'ruler' is assigned to these rashis. These bodies include Venus, Mars, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn. Furthermore, the rashis are assigned various qualities or gunas.

Rashi (zodiac sign)	Mesha (Aries)
Starting letters for Mesha (Aries) rashi	A, L, E, I, O
Representation	Ram
Element	Fire
Ruling body	Mars
Quality	Movable (chara)

Birth Star (Nakshatra)

Another important aspect of Vedic Astrology is the nakshatras, the lunar constellations or star clusters that the Moon occupies during a person's birth. There are 27 nakshatras, each with its own unique qualities, attributes, and symbolism. Each rashi contains two-and-one-fourth nakshatras in it. For example, Aries contains Ashwini, Bharani, and Krithika nakshatras.

The below table provides information on the nakshatras’ degrees on the zodiac circle, their lords and related syllables, for babies born in the Mesha (Aries) rashi. These syllables/phonetics are popularly used to choose the baby name. For precise nakshatra calculation based on your baby's birthplace and date, use our Nakshatra Calculator.

Nakshatra	Degrees Of The Nakshatra	Nakshatra Lord (Ruler)	Name Syllables
Ashwini (Awasthi, Aswini)	Aries (0 to 13.20 degrees)	Ketu	Chu, Che, Cho, Choo, La, Laa
Bharani	Aries (13. 20 to 26.40 degrees)	Venus	Lee, Lu, Le, Lo, Li
Krittika (Karthikai, Krithika)	Aries (26.40 to 30.00 degrees)	Sun	Aa, Ae, E, Ee, Ai, A, I, Oo, U

Infographic: Know The Name Abigail‘s Personality As Per Numerology

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Abigail In Different Languages

It’s exciting to see our baby’s name spelled and written in various languages. See how people spell Abigail in Spanish, French, German, Italian, and more! Each language has its own way of saying Abigail, but it’s still the same special name. Learn how the name looks and sounds in different languages around the world!

Name	Language	Code
Abigail	English	en
阿比盖尔	Chinese	zh-CN
अबीगैल	Hindi	hi
Abigail	Spanish	es
Abigail	French	fr
أبيجيل	Arabic	ar
এবিগেল	Bengali	bn
Abigail	Portuguese	pt
Эбигейл	Russian	ru
ابیگیل	Urdu	ur
Abigail	Indonesian	id
Abigail	German	de
アビゲイル	Japanese	ja
अबीगैल	Marathi	mr
అబిగైల్	Telugu	te
Abigail	Turkish	tr
அபிகாயில்	Tamil	ta
Abigail	Vietnamese	vi
Abigail	Tagalog	tl
애비게일	Korean	ko
Abigail	Hausa	ha
Abigail	Swahili	sw
Abigail	Javanese	jv
Abigail	Italian	it
ਅਬੀਗੈਲ	Punjabi	pa
એબીગેલ	Gujarati	gu
อบิเกล	Thai	th
ಅಬಿಗೈಲ್	Kannada	kn
አቢጌል	Amharic	am
अबीगैल	Bhojpuri	bho
Abigail	Yoruba	yo

How To Communicate The Name Abigail In Sign Languages

In Nautical Flags

abigail

In Sign Language

abigail

In Braille Alphabet

abigail

In Morse Code

abigail

Name Numerology For Abigail

Numerology is an occult system that gives significance to numbers and their influence on human life and destiny. Numerologists attribute specific qualities, energies, and characteristics to a number. Parents who believe in numerology prefer to choose baby names that resonate positively with the child’s unique numerical vibrations, often derived from their date of birth. Here we give a general birth number and personality traits of the name Abigail, based on the Pythagorean (Western) system. This analysis will differ from child to child based on their date of birth. You may use our numerology calculator for more personalized information.

Baby Name Lists Containing Abigail

Read through our baby name lists that include the name Abigail and several other similar names. The wider the choice, the better your selection. Isn't it?

Movie Titles Inspired By The Name Abigail

Discover the presence of Abigail in an array of films. Know about the various movies that have this name.

Movie title	Other titles	Release year
Abigail		2023
The Abigail Mysteries	The Abby Brooks Mysteries	2023
The Curse of Abigail Proctor		2023
Abigail Falls		2018
Abigail Harm		2012
Abigail Lesley Is Back in Town	Abigail is Back, Abigail Lesley Kasabaya Geri Döndü, Abigail Leslie Is Back in Town, Abigail Leslie Is Back in Town!, Abigail Leslie ist zurück, El jardín secreto, Leslie Abigail - Ich will immer, Sexpert, Smek-kamraterna, The Secret Garden	1975

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Abigail a strong name?

According to the Hebrew Bible, Abigail helped prevent bloodshed by approaching King David with her intelligence and diplomacy. Therefore, the name represents a woman of stoic strength.

2. What is the personality of the name Abigail?

The name Abigail reflects joy and signifies an adventurous, outgoing, and happy-go-lucky personality. However, do remember that a name alone cannot influence a child’s personality.

3. Is Abigail a vintage name?

The name Abigail has its origins in the Hebrew Bible and was used by the Puritans during the 16th century. Thanks to its rich history, Abigail is a vintage name you can bestow on your baby.

4. What is the gender-neutral name for Abigail?

Abby is the unisex version of the name Abigail. Though given to boys too, the name Abby is more common among girls.

5. What does Abby mean in the Bible?

Abby is generally used as a short for Abigail. It has the same meaning as Abigail, which is ‘father’s joy’ or ‘cause of joy.’

6. Is Abigail a rare name?

Abigail is a popular girl name in the US. It has been among the top 30 female names in the US since 1997. In 2022, 6254 babies were given the name (1).

7. What is a good middle name to go with Abigail?

Grace means ‘favor’ or ‘kindness’ and will go well with Abigail since it also represents a positive emotion. Marie means ‘wished for child,’ so it can be a good middle name for Abigail as well.

8. What is the personality of the name Abigail?

An individual named Abigail may love freedom, is adventurous, and accepts change. They are also creative by nature and have a good appearance. Lastly, they tend to be compassionate and love to keep their environment peaceful.

9. What is the difference between Abigail and Abigael?

There is no difference between the two. Abigael is a spelling variant of Abigail.

References:

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.

Popularity of name Abigail.
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/

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