Abby Girl

Popularity: #586 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: AB-ee //ˈæbi//

Origin: Hebrew; English

Meaning: Hebrew: My father is joyful; English: Diminutive of Abigail

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Abby is derived from the Hebrew name Avigail, which means "my father is joy." The name Avigail appears in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the First Book of Samuel, where Abigail is described as the wife of King David. The name made its way into English through various linguistic transformations, beginning with the Hebrew form, which was then rendered into Greek as Abigaïl and later into Latin as Abigael.

The Old French adopted the name as Abigael, which eventually evolved into the English Abby and its variant Abigail during the Middle Ages. Historically, the name gained prominence in the Christian tradition due to the biblical figure Abigail, who is noted for her intelligence and beauty, as well as her role in averting disaster for her household.

The name was further popularized in the English-speaking world through the translation of the Bible, particularly the King James Version in the early 17th century, which helped solidify its usage in Christian contexts. Throughout the centuries, the name has been borne by various saints and notable figures, contributing to its enduring presence in Western culture.

Culturally, Abby has been associated with qualities such as joy and wisdom, reflecting its etymological roots. The name has also been embraced in literature and the arts, appearing in various works that highlight its positive connotations.

Additionally, the diminutive form Abby has become a familiar and affectionate variant, often used in familial and friendly contexts. Overall, the name Abby carries a rich historical and cultural significance, rooted in its biblical origins and sustained through centuries of usage.

Famous people named Abby

In this section, you will find notable people named Abby. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Abby who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Abby who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Abby Wambach is a retired soccer player best known for winning two Olympic gold medals and the FIFA Women's World Cup.

Abby Lee Miller is a television personality best known for Dance Moms and Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition.

Abby Sciuto is a fictional character best known as a forensic scientist on the television series NCIS.

Fictional characters named Abby

The following list of fictional characters named Abby is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Abby Sciuto is a fictional character from the TV series NCIS. She is a forensic scientist known for her expertise in evidence analysis and her quirky personality.

Abby Cadabby is a fictional character from the children's television show Sesame Street. She is a young fairy-in-training who uses magic and learns valuable life lessons throughout the series.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Abby, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Abby. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Abby was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Abby has ranked as high as #354 nationally, which occurred in 2003, and has been most popular in Texas, California, Ohio, New York, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Abby has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Abby is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Abby was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Abby.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 379 0 379
2024 478 0 478
2023 475 0 475
2022 510 0 510
2021 524 0 524
2020 597 0 597
2019 624 0 624
2018 658 0 658
2017 703 0 703
2016 727 0 727
2015 728 0 728
2014 843 0 843
2013 907 0 907
2012 1,038 0 1,038
2011 1,065 0 1,065
2010 1,149 0 1,149
2009 1,286 5 1,281
2008 1,337 5 1,332
2007 1,587 8 1,579
2006 1,692 6 1,686
2005 1,754 0 1,754
2004 2,044 20 2,024
2003 2,048 0 2,048
2002 1,961 0 1,961
2001 1,986 0 1,986
2000 1,566 0 1,566
1999 1,818 8 1,810
1998 1,614 6 1,608
1997 1,565 0 1,565
1996 1,426 7 1,419
1995 1,383 5 1,378
1994 1,372 0 1,372
1993 1,176 0 1,176
1992 1,081 0 1,081
1991 1,174 0 1,174
1990 1,293 0 1,293
1989 1,281 7 1,274
1988 1,230 8 1,222
1987 1,060 8 1,052
1986 1,125 5 1,120
1985 1,214 7 1,207
1984 1,263 0 1,263
1983 1,315 5 1,310
1982 1,305 6 1,299
1981 1,217 6 1,211
1980 935 5 930
1979 791 0 791
1978 624 5 619
1977 284 5 279
1976 256 0 256
1975 240 0 240
1974 220 0 220
1973 191 0 191
1972 167 0 167
1971 204 0 204
1970 171 0 171
1969 148 0 148
1968 134 0 134
1967 161 0 161
1966 187 0 187
1965 222 0 222
1964 217 0 217
1963 236 0 236
1962 286 0 286
1961 236 0 236
1960 247 6 241
1959 176 0 176
1958 154 0 154
1957 169 0 169
1956 117 0 117
1955 108 0 108
1954 108 0 108
1953 90 5 85
1952 95 0 95
1951 82 0 82
1950 73 5 68
1949 58 0 58
1948 65 0 65
1947 54 8 46
1946 47 5 42
1945 34 0 34
1944 32 0 32
1943 52 0 52
1942 51 5 46
1941 32 0 32
1940 37 0 37
1939 24 0 24
1938 21 0 21
1937 25 0 25
1936 18 0 18
1935 26 0 26
1934 15 0 15
1933 15 0 15
1932 21 0 21
1931 19 0 19
1930 16 0 16
1929 11 0 11
1928 29 0 29
1927 18 0 18
1926 29 5 24
1925 26 0 26
1924 20 5 15
1923 15 0 15
1922 13 0 13
1921 11 0 11
1920 15 0 15
1919 17 0 17
1918 6 0 6
1917 11 0 11
1916 16 0 16
1915 11 0 11
1914 11 0 11
1913 11 0 11
1912 8 0 8
1911 13 0 13
1910 6 0 6
1909 8 0 8
1907 5 0 5
1906 6 0 6
1903 10 0 10
1902 7 0 7
1901 6 0 6
1900 7 0 7
1898 6 0 6
1897 6 0 6
1896 6 0 6
1894 5 0 5
1893 10 0 10
1892 6 0 6
1891 12 0 12
1890 6 0 6
1889 8 0 8
1888 9 0 9
1887 5 0 5
1886 7 0 7
1885 5 0 5
1884 6 0 6
1882 11 0 11
1881 7 0 7
1880 6 0 6

Top States for Abby (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 63
14%
TX 48
11%
FL 42
9%
NY 32
7%
NJ 25
6%
IL 15
3%
GA 15
3%
OH 14
3%
NC 12
3%
MI 12
3%
UT 11
2%
MD 11
2%
VA 11
2%
TN 10
2%
PA 10
2%
WA 10
2%
AZ 9
2%
NV 9
2%
MN 9
2%
CO 8
2%
LA 8
2%
CT 8
2%
KS 7
2%
SC 6
1%
MA 6
1%
OK 6
1%
OR 6
1%
RI 5
1%
IN 5
1%
SD 5
1%
KY 5
1%