Gender Feminine
Scripts אֲבִיגַיִל(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced Pron. AB-i-gayl(English)  [key·IPA]

Meaning & History

From the Hebrew name אֲבִיגָיִל ('Avigayil) meaning "my father is joy", derived from the roots אָב ('av) meaning "father" and גִּיל (gil) meaning "joy". In the Old Testament this is 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. The biblical Abigail refers to herself as a servant, and beginning in the 17th century the name became a slang term for a servant, especially after the release of the play The Scornful Lady (1616), which featured a character named Abigail. The name went out of fashion at that point, but it was revived in the 20th century.

Related Names

VariantsAbigale, Abigayle, Abegail(English)
DiminutivesAbbey, Abbi, Abbie, Abby, Abi, Gail, Gale, Gayla, Gayle, Gaila(English)
Other Languages & CulturesAbigaïl(Biblical French) Abigaia(Biblical Greek) 'Avigayil(Biblical Hebrew) Abigaëlle(French) Apikalia(Hawaiian) Avigail(Hebrew) Abigél(Hungarian) Abigaíl(Spanish)
Same SpellingAbigaíl, Abigaïl

People think this name is

classic   formal   natural   wholesome   refined   serious  

Images

David and Abigail by Antonio MolinariDavid and Abigail by Antonio Molinari

Categories

Entry updated June 9, 2023