Fun Facts About the Name Ab
- 380 babies named Ab: U.S. records list 380 babies given the name Ab from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Ab Mean?
Ab is a short form of names that begin with the element Ab-, which goes back to Hebrew אָב (av, also transliterated ab), the Hebrew word for "father." Biblical names such as Abraham, Abner, Absalom, Abijah, Abimelech, and Abigail all open with this element, where its literal sense is "father"; in Abigail it appears as אֲבִי (avi), "my father." The b spelling reflects older transliteration practice: the Hebrew letter bet (ב) is frequently pronounced v, so the same element is written av in modern transcriptions and ab in the King James Bible and in the traditional English forms of these names.
Ab has no independent etymology of its own; its meaning follows the full name it shortens. In English it is used mainly for Abraham or Abigail, and in Dutch for Abraham and for Albert. Albert is a Germanic name from Adalbert, from elements meaning "noble" and "bright," and has no connection to the Hebrew word for father. The similar Arabic word أب (ab), "father," as in names such as Abu Bakr, belongs to a different language, though Hebrew and Arabic share a common Semitic root for "father." The Persian آب (āb) means "water" and is unrelated; it forms place names such as Punjab (panj āb, "five waters") rather than personal names.
Ab Name History & Origins
Ab came into English spelling chiefly through Bible translation. In the King James Version and the earlier English Bibles behind it, Hebrew אָב was written Ab at the head of names - Abner, Absalom, Abijah, Abimelech, Abigail - and this convention fixed the ab spelling in English. Standalone use of Ab as an English given name is limited; where it appears, it is normally a familiar form of Abraham or Abigail. The usual American short form of Abraham is Abe.
In the Netherlands, Ab is used as a given name in its own right, most often for Abraham and sometimes for Albert, as with the cyclist Ab Geldermans (Albertus Geldermans) and the politician Ab Klink (Abraham Klink). Dutch practice keeps Ab as a working given name rather than only an occasional nickname.
The Hebrew word av also names the month Av, sometimes spelled Ab, in the Hebrew calendar. That is a month name, not a personal name, and its spelling overlap with the name element is a matter of transliteration.
How Popular is the Name Ab?
Ab recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2007. Its best rank was #836 in 1885.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,017 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #10,799 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #9,557 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #10,655 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #9,657 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #12,292 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #10,768 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #7,692 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #4,147 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 2007 | #2,867 | 41 | 0.0020% |
| 2006 | #3,306 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 2005 | #3,319 | 30 | 0.0015% |
| 2004 | #3,012 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2003 | #3,529 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2002 | #4,503 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2001 | #4,890 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2000 | #4,389 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1999 | #6,529 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1997 | #6,100 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #7,793 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1946 | #3,173 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1942 | #3,561 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1924 | #4,347 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1922 | #3,872 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1921 | #3,517 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1918 | #3,728 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1917 | #3,545 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1916 | #2,926 | 8 | 0.0009% |
| 1887 | #921 | 5 | 0.0049% |
| 1885 | #836 | 6 | 0.0056% |
| 1882 | #943 | 5 | 0.0044% |
| 1880 | #909 | 5 | 0.0045% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Ab Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Ab's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ab's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.