Abygail
Feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "father's joy".
Name Census estimates that about 2,804 living Americans carry the first name Abygail. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Abygail today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Abygail births was 2009 (180 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Abygail. 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.
Key insights
- • Abygail is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 18 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
2.8K
~ 1 in 122,238 Americans
Peak year
2009
180 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,371
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Abygail: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Abygail 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 1,272 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Abygail 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 Abygail during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Abygails live
The SSA's state-level files cover 25 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Abygail, while South Carolina, New Jersey, Connecticut recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 55 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Abygail
The given name Abygail has its roots in the Hebrew language and culture. It is a variant spelling of the biblical name Abigail, which means "father's joy" or "source of joy." The name traces back to ancient times, appearing in the Old Testament as the name of a wise and beautiful woman who became the wife of King David.
The name Abygail likely emerged as an alternative spelling during the Middle Ages, when names were often adapted and transliterated into various languages and scripts. It may have been influenced by the Latin alphabet or other language-specific pronunciations and spellings.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Abygail can be found in the writings of the 17th-century English philosopher and statesman, Francis Bacon. In his work "The Essayes or Counsels, Civill and Morall," published in 1625, he mentions an "Abygail" as an example of a virtuous woman.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Abygail. One such figure was Abygail Washburn (1677-1757), an early American settler in Massachusetts who played a significant role in the founding of the town of Bridgewater. Another was Abygail Buren (1779-1858), the wife of the 8th President of the United States, Martin Van Buren.
In the literary realm, Abygail was the name of a character in the 1815 novel "The Wanderer; or, Female Difficulties" by the British writer Fanny Burney. This fictional character was portrayed as a strong-willed and independent woman.
In the field of science, Abygail Barnett (1836-1920) was a notable American astronomer and educator. She was one of the first women to receive a Ph.D. in astronomy and played a significant role in advancing the field during the late 19th century.
Lastly, Abygail Adams (1744-1818) was the wife of the second President of the United States, John Adams, and an influential figure in her own right. She is renowned for her intelligence, leadership, and advocacy for women's rights during the American Revolution and the early years of the nation.
People
Abygail + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Abygail 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
Abygail: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Abygail?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,804 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Abygail 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 122,238 US residents.
Is Abygail a common name?
We classify Abygail as "Rare". It ranks above 95% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,841 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Abygail most popular?
The single biggest year for Abygail was 2009, when 180 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Abygail is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Abygail a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Abygail 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.