Abigail
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Abigail
Abigail has been in for so long -- the name has ranked in the US Top 100 since the late 1980s -- it's amazing that it isn't more out by now. But Abigail's biblical and historic roots make it a fashionable classic rather than a passing fad.
The name Abigail comes from the Hebrew name Avigail and is derived from the Hebrew elements ab, meaning "father," and g-y-l, meaning "to rejoice." In the Old Testament, Abigail was the wife of David, said to be beautiful, wise, and prophetic.
Abigail was well-used for centuries but In the early 1800s, abigail became a slang term for a lady's maid, which led to a fall from favor. It was well on its way down by the time the US Social Security office began keeping records on baby name popularity in 1880, and by the early 1900s fell off the Top 1000 completely.
Abigail's resurgence was tied to the rediscovery of many old biblical names starting in the 1960s. Abigail was in the first wave of the Old Testament names that were revived then, including Hannah, Rebecca, and Rachel for girls, Joshua, Aaron, and Benjamin for boys.
Abigail has been the name of two of our First Ladies—three, if you count the character on The West Wing—and Abby has been the name of a host of television and movie characters in everything from Mad Men to The Lovely Bones.
If you like Abigail but want something fresher, you may consider such other biblical choices as Lydia and Priscilla or names popular in Revolutionary Era America that have been neglected in recent years, such as Susannah and Hester.
Abigail is also given to boys.
Pronounced AB-i-gal.
As of October 2026, Abigail ranked #41 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #4 in 2005, Nameberry popularity #91.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #8 | 12,113 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #7 | 12,420 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #8 | 11,794 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #10 | 10,645 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #11 | 9,877 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #11 | 9,189 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #12 | 7,910 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #17 | 6,985 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #24 | 6,300 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #31 | 5,682 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #32 | 5,499 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #41 | 4,941 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Abigail.
Abigail on lists
Famous Abigails
- AbigailGirl
sister of King David (1 Chr. 2:16)
- Abigail AdamsGirl
U.S. First Lady as wife of 2nd President John Adams
- Abigail "Nabby" Adams SmithGirl
daughter of Abigail and John Adams
- Abigail Powers FillmoreGirl
U.S. First Lady as wife of President Millard Fillmore
- Abigail Van BurenGirl
pen name of Pauline and Jeanne Phillips, American advice columnists of "Dear Abby"
- Abigail Kathleen BreslinGirl
American actress
- Abigail SavageGirl
American actress
- Abigail RichGirl
American model and actress
- Abigail Michal SpearsGirl
American tennis player
- Abigail Anne FolgerGirl
American socialite and volunteer
- Abigail LaneGirl
English visual artist
- Abigail Leigh SpencerGirl
American actress
- Abigail WilliamsGirl
accuser in the 1692 Salem witch trials
- Abigail "Gayle" ZsigaGirl
English electronic musician
- Mary Abigail "Abby" WambachGirl
American soccer player
- Abigail Lynn "Abby" DahlkemperGirl
American soccer player
- Abigail Nellie "Abby" WanerGirl
American basketball player
- Abigail Loraine "Abby" HenselGirl
American conjoined twin and reality TV personality; twin Brittany Hensel
- Abigail Susan "Abby" EcksteinGirl
American child model
- Abigail Mawae (b. 2000)Girl
daughter of NFL player Kevin Mawae
- Abigail Grace Fisher (b. 2008)Girl
daughter of singer Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Matt Fisher
- Abigail O'kalani Bowlsbey (b. 2014)Girl
daughter of U.S. Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth
- Abigail Severino (b. 2015)Girl
daughter of baseball player Luis Severino
- Abigail Morris Girl
lead singer of "The Last Dinner Party"
Abigail in pop culture
- Abigail Johanna DeverauxGirl
character on American soap "Days of Our Lives"
- Abigail Rachel "Abby" Carlton NewmanGirl
character on American soap "The Young and the Restless"
- Abigail "Abby" ScuitoGirl
character on TV's 'NCIS'
- Abigail ArmstrongGirl
character on Australian TV's "Dance Academy"
- Abigail "Abbie" CarmichaelGirl
character on TV's "Law & Order"
- Abigail HobbsGirl
character on TV's 'Hannibal'
- Dr. Abigail ChaseGirl
main character in National Treasure movies
- Abigail NixonGirl
character on British TV's "The Bill"
- Abigail WhitmanGirl
character on TV's "Mad Men"
- Abigail KennerGirl
character in novel "The Lifeboat Clique"
- Abigail "Abby" WhelanGirl
character on TV's 'Scandal'
- Abigail LytarGirl
character on TV's "Psych"
- Abigail "Abby" MillsGirl
character on TV's "Sleepy Hollow"
- Sister AbigailGirl
character in movie 'Orphan'
- Abigail "Abby" DaviesGirl
character on British soap "Hollyoaks"
- Abigail SalmonGirl
character in book/movie "The Lovely Bones"
- Abigail "Abby" Lincoln (a.k.a. Numbah 5)Girl
one of the main characters on Codename: Kids Next Door
- Abigail MerriweatherGirl
character in "This golden land" by Barbara Wood
- "AbigailGirl
" song and concept album by King Diamond
- Abigail "Abby" GriffinGirl
a character in the TV show The 100
- Abigail "Abbie" RossoGirl
character in the children's novel '10 Kids, No Pets', by Ann M Martin
- Abigail "Abby" WilliamsGirl
character in Arthur Miller's play The Crucible
- Abigail "Abby" Bennett WilsonGirl
character on TV's "The Vampire Diaries"
- Abigail "Abbey" BartletGirl
character in the TV show The West Wing
- Abigail WilliamsGirl
character in the movie "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"
- "Abigail"Girl
song by Motionless in White
- Abigail KirkGirl
character in book and movie "Playing Beatie Bow"
- AbigailGirl
a character in the game "Stardew Valley"
- Abigail “Abby” MaitlandGirl
character in ITV Series “Primeval”
- Abby Lockhart Girl
Nurse, then Doctor on TV’s ER
- Abigail CarterGirl
character in video game “Don’t Starve”
Variations & nicknames
- AbiGirl
- AbagaelGirl
- AbagailGirl
- AbagaleGirl
- AbagilGirl
- AbaigealGirl
- AbbagailGirl
- AbbeGirl
- AbbeyGirl
- AbbiGirl
- AbbieGirl
- AbbiegailGirl
- AbbiegayleGirl
- AbbigaelGirl
- AbbigailGirl
- AbbigalGirl
- AbbigaleGirl
- AbbigaylGirl
- AbbigayleGirl
- AbbyGirl
- AbbyeGirl
- AbbygaelGirl
- AbbygailGirl
- AbbygaleGirl
- AbegailGirl
- AbegaleGirl
- AbgailGirl
- AbgaleGirl
- AbgayleGirl
- AbichayilGirl
- AbigaelGirl
- AbigaileGirl
- AbigaillGirl
- AbigalGirl
- AbigaleGirl
- AbigayilGirl
- AbigaylGirl
- AbigayleGirl
- AbigelGirl
- AbigialGirl
- AbigilGirl
- AbihailGirl
- AbugailGirl
- AbygailGirl
- AvichayilGirl
- AvigailGirl
- AvihailGirl
- GaelGirl
- GailGirl
- GailaGirl
- GalGirl
- GaleGirl
- GayelGirl
- GayleGirl