Fun Facts About the Name Abijah
- 421 babies named Abijah: U.S. records list 421 babies given the name Abijah from 1880 through 2025. Even 74 girls received the name Abijah - about 1 girl for every 5 boys.
What Does the Name Abijah Mean?
Abijah comes from the Hebrew name אֲבִיָּה (Aviyyah) and means "my father is Yah" - that is, "my father is Yahweh." It is built from אָב (av, "father") with the possessive ending -i ("my"), joined to יָהּ (Yah), a shortened form of the divine name YHWH. A longer Hebrew form, אֲבִיָּהוּ (Aviyyahu), uses the fuller ending -yahu.
The phrase is a statement about God rather than a description of the child, and the same "my father" element opens other Hebrew names, such as Abigail and Abner. In the Greek of the New Testament the name appears as Ἀβιά (Abia), the form that passed into Latin Bible text as Abia.
Abijah Name History & Origins
Abijah is the name of several figures in the Hebrew Bible. The prophet Samuel's second son was named Abijah (1 Samuel 8:2). Jeroboam, first king of the northern kingdom of Israel, had a son named Abijah who died young (1 Kings 14:1). A priest named Abijah received the eighth of the twenty-four lots assigning the priestly divisions (1 Chronicles 24:10), and in the New Testament the priest Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, belonged to the division of Abijah (Luke 1:5).
The best-known bearer is the second king of Judah, son of Rehoboam. The books of Kings call him אֲבִיָּם (Abijam), while Chronicles and the Gospel of Matthew use Abijah. Whether Abijam is a variant of the same name or a distinct form is disputed; the two spellings may reflect scribal variation or separate traditions. In 2 Chronicles 29:1 the name belongs to a woman, Abijah daughter of Zechariah, the mother of King Hezekiah.
In the New Testament the Hebrew name appears in Greek as Ἀβιά (Abia), including in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. The King James Version of 1611 uses "Abijah" for the Hebrew figures and "Abia" for the Greek form in the New Testament, and both spellings have been used as given names in English.
How Popular is the Name Abijah?
Abijah 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 2013. Its best rank was #4,981 in 2013.
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 | #14,961 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #15,190 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2019 | #12,456 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #14,138 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #10,872 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2013 | #11,980 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #13,497 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #16,788 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #17,315 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #15,514 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #13,529 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #14,134 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,736 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #6,819 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2023 | #9,762 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #6,144 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2021 | #7,098 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #8,075 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #5,813 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2018 | #9,684 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #6,687 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #5,317 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2015 | #7,497 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2014 | #5,252 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2013 | #4,981 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2012 | #10,789 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #8,772 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #7,592 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #6,805 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2008 | #7,192 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 2007 | #5,434 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2006 | #5,307 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2005 | #9,117 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #6,140 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2003 | #7,249 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #7,649 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #8,347 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #5,041 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1999 | #7,142 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #5,469 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1995 | #8,871 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #8,809 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #7,911 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1986 | #6,729 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #6,317 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #5,529 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #5,848 | 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 Abijah 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.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Abijah's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Abijah's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.