From the Hebrew name אֲבִיגָיִל ('Avigayil) meaning "my father is joy". In the Old Testament this was the name of Nabal's wife. After Nabal's death she became the third wife of King David.

As an English name, Abigail first became common after the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular among the Puritans. Some time after the release of the play 'The Scornful Lady' (1616), which featured a character named Abigail, the name became a slang term for a servant, and it grew less common. It was revived in the 20th century.