Abi
A Hebrew feminine name meaning "my father's delight" or "father's joy".
Name Census estimates that about 630 living Americans carry the first name Abi. It is a predominantly female name (96.6% of registrations). The average person named Abi today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Abi births was 2007 (32 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Abi. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
630
~ 1 in 544,055 Americans
Peak year
2007
32 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2012 SSA rank
#6,145
Tracked since 1973
Gender
Gender distribution for Abi
Abi leans heavily female at 96.6% of total registrations, but 22 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Abi as a male name
- Ranked #12,295 in 2012
- 5 male births in 2012
- Peak: 2007 (6 births)
Abi as a female name
- Ranked #6,145 in 2024
- 19 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2016 (27 births)
Popularity
Abi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Abi from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 197 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Abi remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Abi by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Abi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Abis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Abi
The name Abi is a diminutive form of the Hebrew name Abigail, which means "father's joy" or "source of joy." It has its origins in ancient Hebrew culture and can be traced back to the biblical figure Abigail, who was known for her wisdom and courage in the Old Testament.
In the Book of Samuel, Abigail is described as a beautiful and intelligent woman who intervened to prevent her husband Nabal from being killed by King David. Her actions and diplomatic skills impressed David, and she later became his wife. This biblical account from around the 10th century BCE is one of the earliest recorded instances of the name Abigail, from which Abi is derived.
The name Abi gained popularity in various cultures and languages over time. In Arabic, the name Abi is a separate name meaning "my father" or "father of." It is commonly used as a prefix in Arabic names, such as Abidullah (father of the faith) or Abrahim (father of many).
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Abi was Abi ibn Abi Talib, a prominent military commander and cousin of the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century CE. He played a significant role in the early Muslim conquests and the establishment of the Rashidun Caliphate.
In the Middle Ages, the name Abi was used in various European cultures, often as a shortened form of Abigail or as a derivative of other names. One notable figure was Abi of Fleury, a Benedictine monk and scholar who lived in the 10th century and wrote several influential works on liturgy and ecclesiastical history.
During the Renaissance period, the name Abi gained popularity in Italy and other parts of Europe. Abi Battista, an Italian architect and engineer from the 16th century, was known for his work on fortifications and hydraulic engineering projects.
In more recent history, Abi Ofarim was a famous Israeli singer and actress who rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s. She was known for her unique blend of folk and pop music, and her hit song "Cinderella Rockefella" became an international success.
Other notable individuals with the name Abi include Abi Morgan, a British playwright and screenwriter who wrote the critically acclaimed films Shame and The Iron Lady; Abi Titmuss, an English model and television personality; and Abi Tucker, a British singer-songwriter and musician.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Abi
People
Abi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Abi as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Abi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Abi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 630 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Abi going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 544,055 US residents.
Is Abi a common name?
We classify Abi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 644 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Abi most popular?
The single biggest year for Abi was 2007, when 32 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Abi is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Abi a female name?
Yes, 96.6% of people registered as Abi in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.