Fun Facts About the Name Abigael
- More than 1 thousand babies named Abigael: U.S. records list 1,964 babies given the name Abigael from 1880 through 2025. Even 5 boys received the name Abigael - about 1 boy for every 392 girls.
What Does the Name Abigael Mean?
Abigael is a variant spelling of the Hebrew name Avigayil (אֲבִיגַיִל), traditionally understood to mean "my father is joy" or "father's joy." The name is formed from the Hebrew elements av (אָב), "father," and gil (גִּיל), "joy" or "rejoicing." The form Avi (אֲבִי) means "my father," which is why the literal sense is often given as "my father is joy"; the smoother English rendering "father's joy" expresses the same components rather than a separate derivation.
As a spelling variant, Abigael shares this etymology with Abigail. The -ael ending reflects a transliteration of the Hebrew name that appears in some European naming traditions; it does not indicate a different Hebrew root or an independent meaning.
Abigael Name History & Origins
Abigael is a variant spelling of the biblical Hebrew name Avigayil, known in English as Abigail. Its history is therefore the history of that name as it passed through Bible translation and European naming. In the Hebrew Bible, Abigail is the wife of Nabal of Maon and later of King David (1 Samuel 25); she is also named as the mother of David's son Chileab (2 Samuel 3:3; 1 Chronicles 3:1). A second Abigail appears in 2 Samuel 17:25 and 1 Chronicles 2:16 - 17 as the daughter of Nahash and mother of Amasa.
English Bibles normally use Abigail, the spelling that became established in English-speaking countries. Abigael is one of several transliterated forms found in European naming, particularly in Danish and Norwegian use. It does not have a separate Hebrew root or an independent line of development; the spelling reflects variation in rendering the Hebrew name.
In the 17th century, the parent name Abigail gave English the common noun abigail, meaning a lady's maid or waiting gentlewoman, after a character in Beaumont and Fletcher's play The Scornful Lady (1616). This later literary and occupational use belongs to Abigail and does not change the Hebrew name's meaning or apply specifically to the spelling Abigael.
How Popular is the Name Abigael?
Abigael has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2009. Its best rank was #2,142 in 2002.
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 | #5,555 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 2024 | #3,877 | 38 | 0.0024% |
| 2023 | #3,585 | 43 | 0.0027% |
| 2022 | #3,962 | 37 | 0.0023% |
| 2021 | #4,244 | 33 | 0.0020% |
| 2020 | #4,170 | 33 | 0.0020% |
| 2019 | #3,666 | 41 | 0.0024% |
| 2018 | #3,396 | 46 | 0.0027% |
| 2017 | #3,386 | 46 | 0.0027% |
| 2016 | #2,966 | 56 | 0.0032% |
| 2015 | #3,593 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 2014 | #3,486 | 45 | 0.0025% |
| 2013 | #2,726 | 63 | 0.0036% |
| 2012 | #2,336 | 80 | 0.0045% |
| 2011 | #2,762 | 63 | 0.0036% |
| 2010 | #2,642 | 68 | 0.0038% |
| 2009 | #2,316 | 84 | 0.0046% |
| 2008 | #2,690 | 68 | 0.0036% |
| 2007 | #2,859 | 63 | 0.0033% |
| 2006 | #2,602 | 69 | 0.0036% |
| 2005 | #2,580 | 66 | 0.0036% |
| 2004 | #2,397 | 71 | 0.0039% |
| 2003 | #2,229 | 77 | 0.0042% |
| 2002 | #2,142 | 78 | 0.0043% |
| 2001 | #2,259 | 71 | 0.0039% |
| 2000 | #2,278 | 68 | 0.0037% |
| 1999 | #2,567 | 55 | 0.0031% |
| 1998 | #2,188 | 65 | 0.0037% |
| 1997 | #2,423 | 54 | 0.0031% |
| 1996 | #2,558 | 49 | 0.0028% |
| 1995 | #2,552 | 49 | 0.0028% |
| 1994 | #2,988 | 39 | 0.0022% |
| 1993 | #4,525 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1992 | #3,419 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 1991 | #4,650 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1990 | #4,380 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1989 | #4,848 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1988 | #6,278 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1987 | #7,355 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1986 | #7,751 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #6,460 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #7,312 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #7,411 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1980 | #9,096 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | #11,372 | 5 | 0.0003% |
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 Abigael 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.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Abigael's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Abigael's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.