Behind the Name: Meaning, Origin and History of the Name Abner

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ABNER

GENDER: Masculine

USAGE: English, Biblical, Biblical Latin

OTHER SCRIPTS: אַבְנֵר (Ancient Hebrew)

PRONOUNCED: AB-nər (English) [key]

Meaning & History

Means "my father is a light" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, Abner was a cousin of Saul and the commander of his army. It has been used as an English Christian given name since the Protestant Reformation. It was popular with the Puritans, who brought it to America in the 17th century.

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