Abigail at a glance
- Meaning
- “my father is joy”
- Gender
- Girl
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Pronunciation
- AB-ih-gayl
- Nicknames
- Abby, Gail
- Other forms
- Avigail, Abigael, Abigaille
Where the name Abigail comes from
In the Bible, Abigail is a wise woman who becomes a wife of King David. English Puritans began using the name in the 17th century, and for a while “abigail” was also an everyday word for a lady’s maid because of a character in a popular play. Today it is a common girls’ name again, especially in the US.
Famous people named Abigail
- Abigail Adams (US First Lady)