Parents these days agonize over baby names. They want something unique but not too weird; elegant, but not stuffy; modern, but not trendy. And they want the name to sound good with their last name, of course.
It’s no wonder that nearly half of all parents change their child’s name before or soon after birth.
Abigail is a name that ticks all of those boxes. It is unique but not too out there. And most importantly, it will stand the test of time.
We’ll explain the origins and popularity of the name and more in this article.
Origin Of The Name Abigail
Abigail is primarily a female given name, although sometimes it can be a surname. The name Abigail is a derivation from the Hebrew name “Avigail.” Avigail comes from the Hebrew words “ab,” meaning father, and “Gail,” meaning to rejoice.
Therefore, the meaning of the name is “my father is joy or father’s joy.” It could also mean, “my father is exultation .”The first known Abigail was one of King David’s wives, praised for her intelligence, beauty, and loyalty.
The name was first introduced to the English-speaking world by the Puritans in the 16th century.
Famous People With The Name Abigail
There are plenty of famous people with the name Abigail. Here are a few of them:
- Abigail Adams;- was the wife of John Adams, who was the second president of the United States. She was a very influential figure in her husband’s presidency. Many often credit her with being one of the Founding Mothers of the United States.
- Abigail Williams -was one of the initial accusers in the Salem witch trials in the 17th century in Massachusetts, USA.
- Abigail Fillmore- was another First Lady of the United States to President Millard Fillmore.
There are also a few more contemporary Abigails who are notable in their own right.
- Abigail Breslin– is an American actress who has starred in films such as Little Miss Sunshine and Signs.
- Abigail Disney -is an American activist and filmmaker who has directed documentaries such as The Armor of Light.
- Abigail Fisher– is a plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin. The case challenged affirmative action policies in university admissions.
- Abigail Johnson- is the billionaire CEO of Fidelity Investments, one of the largest investment companies in America.
Related Names To Abigail
You may want to consider biblical names for your baby girl. Here are some related names you may fancy;
- Anna/ Hannah -Anna was one of the prophetesses in the Bible. She was very devoted to God and served Him faithfully. This is an excellent name for a girl you hope will grow to be faithful and devoted to God.
- Esther-Esther was a brave woman who risked her life to save her people from destruction. She is a great role model for any young woman.
- Naomi- was a woman who had a difficult life, but she remained faithful to God. She is an excellent example of how to maintain faith in difficult times.
- Rebecca – was a woman who her husband greatly loved. She was also a woman of great faith and courage.
- Rachel – was a devoted mother and wife in the Bible.
Popularity Of The Name Abigail
Abigail is currently among the most famous names in the United States. Its popularity has been steadily increasing over the past few years. Abigail was the 10th most popular name in the United States in 2001, peaking at 4th in 2005.
It remained consistent in the top 10 in the last decade, although slightly dropped to 13th in 2020.
Its popularity is likely to increase because it has a soft and sweet sound that many parents find appealing.
Name Variations Of Abigail
Being a biblical name, Abigail has many variations because of translations to different languages. Here are some variations you might like;
- Abighail
- Ēbigēla
- Abigaia
- Abigael/ Abigaël
- Abigaïl
- Abigayèl
- Apikalia
- Avigail/Ăḇîḡáyil
- Abigél
- Abigaille
- Abigeiru
- Aebigeil
- Abīgēlalē
- Abīgaila
- Avigeya
- Abigejl
- Abiigayil
- Abigaíl
- Abigaeli
- Ábígẹlì
Nicknames
- Abbey
- Abby
- Abbi
- Abbie
- Abi
- Abs /Aby
- Gail
- Gayle
- Big Gail
Sibling And Twin Name Ideas For The Name Abigail
If you love Abigail, you may want to name her sibling a name that rhymes. Here are a few recommendations you’ll love;
Sisters
- Elizabeth
- Millie/Milly/Millicent
- Caroline
- Evelyne
- Audrey
- Aubrey
- Aria
- Abia
Brothers
- Gabriel
- Nathaniel/Nathan
- Andrew
- Angel
- Adam
- Gareth/Garett
Middle Names For Abigail
And our favorite and most popular list, middle names….
As always, make sure to take your time going through this list. There are some amazing names here but not all will be right for you.
Make sure to test the names out with your surname.
My favorite way of picking a middle name is selecting ten I really like and having my partner pick ten they really like themselves.
From there, you can see if there is any overlap.
If not, you can keep going and see which names are an absolute no for you or your partner. Slowly, through process of elimination, you’ll have your perfect middle name for Abigail…
- Abigail Acadia
- Abigail Alanna
- Abigail Alexa
- Abigail Amara
- Abigail Amelia
- Abigail Anna
- Abigail Anne
- Abigail Arden
- Abigail Aryn
- Abigail Ava
- Abigail Blaine
- Abigail Blair
- Abigail Blake
- Abigail Blythe
- Abigail Bree
- Abigail Brigid
- Abigail Brooke
- Abigail Bryn
- Abigail Caitlin
- Abigail Camryn
- Abigail Candace
- Abigail Caris
- Abigail Caroline
- Abigail Carrie
- Abigail Carys
- Abigail Cate
- Abigail Catherine
- Abigail Charisma
- Abigail Charlotte
- Abigail Chase
- Abigail Chloe
- Abigail Christine
- Abigail Claire
- Abigail Clara
- Abigail Claudette
- Abigail Constance
- Abigail Cora
- Abigail Daphn
- Abigail Daphne
- Abigail Dawn
- Abigail Daylin
- Abigail Dee
- Abigail Delaney
- Abigail Delphine
- Abigail Devorah
- Abigail Diana
- Abigail Dior
- Abigail Dominique
- Abigail Doris
- Abigail Dream
- Abigail Edith
- Abigail Eileen
- Abigail Elaine
- Abigail Eleanor
- Abigail Elena
- Abigail Elise
- Abigail Eliza
- Abigail Elizabeth
- Abigail Elizabeth
- Abigail Ella
- Abigail Eloise
- Abigail Emmeline
- Abigail Eve
- Abigail Evelyn
- Abigail Ezra
- Abigail Faith
- Abigail Faye
- Abigail Fern
- Abigail Finn
- Abigail Fiona
- Abigail Fleur
- Abigail Frances
- Abigail Frost
- Abigail Georgia
- Abigail Giselle
- Abigail Glenn
- Abigail Grace
- Abigail Grace
- Abigail Grant
- Abigail Gray
- Abigail Haley
- Abigail Hannah
- Abigail Harlow
- Abigail Harriet
- Abigail Haven
- Abigail Hayes
- Abigail Haze
- Abigail Hazel
- Abigail Honor
- Abigail Hope
- Abigail India
- Abigail Ines
- Abigail Irene
- Abigail Iris
- Abigail Isabel
- Abigail Isabella
- Abigail Isabelle
- Abigail Isadora
- Abigail Jacklyn
- Abigail Jade
- Abigail Jaidyn
- Abigail Jane
- Abigail Jean
- Abigail Jewel
- Abigail Jo
- Abigail Joan
- Abigail Joelle
- Abigail Josey
- Abigail Joy
- Abigail Joyce
- Abigail Judith
- Abigail Juliet
- Abigail June
- Abigail Kate
- Abigail Katharine
- Abigail Katherine
- Abigail Kathryn
- Abigail Krystan
- Abigail Laine
- Abigail Lane
- Abigail Lark
- Abigail Laurel
- Abigail Lauren
- Abigail Laurette
- Abigail Leah
- Abigail Leandra
- Abigail Lee
- Abigail Leigh
- Abigail Lily
- Abigail Louise
- Abigail Lucille
- Abigail Lydia
- Abigail Lynn
- Abigail Mabel
- Abigail Madeleine
- Abigail Madison
- Abigail Mae
- Abigail Maeve
- Abigail Mairin
- Abigail Maisy
- Abigail Makayla
- Abigail Makenna
- Abigail Maren
- Abigail Margaret
- Abigail Marie
- Abigail Marlowe
- Abigail Mary
- Abigail May
- Abigail Melissa
- Abigail Meredith
- Abigail Mia
- Abigail Miriam
- Abigail Monique
- Abigail Monroe
- Abigail Naomi
- Abigail Nicole
- Abigail Noelle
- Abigail Noor
- Abigail Nora
- Abigail Nova
- Abigail Odessa
- Abigail Odette
- Abigail Olivia
- Abigail Ophelia
- Abigail Ozell
- Abigail Paige
- Abigail Paisley
- Abigail Palmer
- Abigail Patience
- Abigail Pearl
- Abigail Penelope
- Abigail Persephone
- Abigail Phoebe
- Abigail Piper
- Abigail Plum
- Abigail Quinn
- Abigail Rachael
- Abigail Rae
- Abigail Rain
- Abigail Raine
- Abigail Reese
- Abigail Renee
- Abigail Riley
- Abigail Rosalie
- Abigail Rose
- Abigail Rose
- Abigail Rosemary
- Abigail Rowan
- Abigail Ruby
- Abigail Ruth
- Abigail Sade
- Abigail Sage
- Abigail Sarah
- Abigail Savannah
- Abigail Sawyer
- Abigail Serena
- Abigail Shae
- Abigail Shaw
- Abigail Sienna
- Abigail Simone
- Abigail Skye
- Abigail Skyler
- Abigail Sloan
- Abigail Sloane
- Abigail Snow
- Abigail Sophia
- Abigail Starr
- Abigail Sue
- Abigail Taylor
- Abigail Tess
- Abigail Vera
- Abigail Victoria
- Abigail Violet
- Abigail Willa
- Abigail Willow
- Abigail Wren
- Abigail Yael
- Abigail Zara
- Abigail Zoe
Looking for more middle name inspiration? Check out middle names for:
Conclusion
There is no doubt that the name “Abigail” will stand the test of time. It is both classic and modern, and it is sure to be famous for many years to come. You should pick a sturdy name like Abigail for your daughter-one that will always sound au courant.
Furthermore, it’s a great example of a beautiful name with deep meaning. It also fits in with different middle names, so you’ll have a large pool of names to work with.