Gender Masculine
Scripts אַבְנֵר(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced Pron. /ˈæb.nəɹ/(English)  [key·simplify]

Meaning & History

From the Hebrew name אַבְנֵר (ʾAvner) meaning "my father is a light", derived from אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and נֵר (ner) meaning "lamp, light". In the Old Testament, Abner was a cousin of Saul and the commander of his army. After he killed Asahel he was himself slain by Asahel's brother Joab.

A famous bearer was the 14th-century Jewish philosopher Abner of Burgos, called Alfonso of Valladolid after he converted to Christianity. 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.

Related Names

Rootsʾav + ner
Other Languages & CulturesAbenner(Biblical Greek) Avner(Biblical Hebrew) Avner(Hebrew) Avenir(Russian)
User SubmissionAbnér

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Entry updated October 6, 2024