Abishai Boy

Popularity: #900 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: AB-ih-shy //ˈæb.ɪ.ʃaɪ//

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: my father is a gift

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Abishai has its roots in the Hebrew language, derived from the elements "abi," meaning "father," and "shai," which translates to "gift." This etymology suggests a literal meaning of "father's gift." The name appears in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the context of the Old Testament, where Abishai is noted as a significant figure, the brother of Joab and a military leader under King David. The name has been transliterated into various forms through historical translations, including the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate, before finding its way into English biblical texts.

Abishai's prominence in biblical narratives, particularly during the reign of King David around the 10th century BCE, marks a significant historical milestone. He is depicted as a loyal and valiant warrior, participating in key battles and demonstrating loyalty to David.

The name's biblical association has contributed to its enduring presence in religious and cultural contexts, particularly among Jewish communities. The name is also mentioned in the context of David's mighty men, which further solidifies its historical significance.

Culturally, Abishai resonates with themes of loyalty, bravery, and familial bonds, reflecting the values upheld in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible. The name has been preserved through various translations and interpretations of biblical texts, contributing to its lasting legacy.

While diminutive forms or variations may exist, the name Abishai itself carries a weight of historical and cultural significance that has allowed it to endure through centuries.

Fictional characters named Abishai

The following list of fictional characters named Abishai 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.

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Abishai is a fictional character from the biblical texts in the Old Testament. He is known as a valiant warrior and the brother of Joab, serving King David.

Sibling suggestions

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

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Abishai was first seen in the United States in 1995.

Abishai has ranked as high as #1368 nationally, which occurred in 2022, and has been most popular in .

In the past 5 years the name Abishai has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Abishai 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 Abishai was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Top States for Abishai

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.

No state data available for this year.

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 Abishai.

YearBirths
202424
202323
202225
202118
20209
201911
201820
201718
201619
201510
201413
201314
201210
201110
201012
20099
200813
200712
20066
20048
20037
20005
19998
19987
19955