Abigail is a female

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

. The name comes from the

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

name אֲבִיגַיִל / אֲבִיגָיִל '' Avigail'', meaning "my father's joy" (alternatively "my father is exulted", or "my father is joyful" amongst others).from either the verbal root ''g-y-l'' "to rejoice" directly, or from the root noun '' gil'' "rejoicing, joy". Adele Berlin in: Carol L. Meyers, Toni Craven, Ross Shepard Kraemer (eds.), ''Women in Scripture: A Dictionary of Named and Unnamed Women in the Hebrew Bible, the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books, and the New Testament'', Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2000
p. 43
/ref> It is also a surname. The name can be shortened to "Abbey", "Abby", "Abbi", "Abbie", "Abi", "Abs", or "Aby", as well as "Gail", "Gayle", among others.

Biblical name

Abigail Abigail () was an Israelite woman in the Hebrew Bible married to Nabal; she married the future King David after Nabal's death ( 1 Samuel ). Abigail was David's second wife, after Saul and Ahinoam's daughter, Michal, whom Saul later married ...

was the wife of

King David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. Hebrew: ''Tān ...

Book of Samuel The Book of Samuel (, ''Sefer Shmuel'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Samuel) in the Old Testament. The book is part of the narrative history of Ancient Israel called the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books (Joshu ...

, and is described as an intelligent, beautiful, loyal woman. *

was the mother of

Amasa Amasa (עמשא) or Amessai is a person mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. His mother was Abigail (), a sister of King David (). Hence, Amasa was a nephew of David, and cousin of Joab, David's military commander, as well as a cousin of Absalom, Dav ...

, the commander-in-chief of

Absalom Absalom ( he, ''ʾAḇšālōm'', "father of peace") was the third son of David, King of Israel with Maacah, daughter of Talmai, King of Geshur. 2 Samuel 14:25 describes him as the handsomest man in the kingdom. Absalom eventually rebelled ag ...

's army (2 Samuel 17:25).

Translations

* Arabic: ابيجايل "Abigail" (Egypt) ابيغيل "Abighail" (other Arab countries). * Bengali: এবিগেল (Ēbigēla) * Biblical Greek: Abigaia * Biblical Hebrew: אביגיל * Bulgarian: Абигейл * Catalan: Abigail * Cantonese: 阿比基爾 (aa³ bei⁵ gei¹ ji⁵) * Chinese Simplified: 阿比盖尔 (Ā bǐ gài ěr) * Chinese Traditional:艾比蓋兒 * Danish: Abigail, Abigael * Dutch: Abigail, Abigaïl * Fijian:Apikali * French: Abigaïl, Abigaël * German: Abigail * Gujarati: એબીગેઇલ (Ēbīgē'ila) * Haitian Creole: Abigayèl * Hawaiian: Apikalia, ʻApikaʻila * Hebrew: אביגיל, Avigail / Abigail, אֲבִיגָיִל (ʾĂḇîḡáyil) * Hindi: सेविका (Sēvikā) * Hungarian: Abigél * Irish: Abigeál * Italian: Abigaille * Japanese: アビゲイル (Abigeiru) * Korean: 애비게일 (Aebigeil) * Macedonian: Авигеја (Avigeja) * Maori: Apikaira * Mongolian: Ивээл (ᠢᠪᠡᠭᠡᠯ) * Nepali: अबीगेलले (Abīgēlalē) * Persian: آبیگل - ابیگیل - ابیگل * Portuguese: Abigail * Punjabi: ਅਬੀਗੈਲ (Abīgaila) * Russian: (''Avigeya''); used predominantly in biblical contextsSuperanskaya, p. 250 * Serbian: Абигејл (Abigejl) but in biblical context Ависага (Avisaga) is used * Somali: Abiigayil * Spanish: Abigaíl * Swahili: Abigaeli * Swedish: Abigail * Ukrainian: Абіґейл * Urdu: ابیگیل * Yiddish: אַביגאַיל * Yoruba: Ábígẹlì

People with the given name

Abigail Adams Abigail Adams ( ''née'' Smith; November 22, [ O.S. November 11] 1744 – October 28, 1818) was the wife and closest advisor of John Adams, as well as the mother of John Quincy Adams. She was a founder of the United States, an ...

''née'' Smith (1744–1818),

First Lady of the United States The first lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House, usually the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never ...

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...

Abigail Binay Mar-len Abigail "Abby" Sombillo Binay-Campos (born December 12, 1975) is a Filipina lawyer and politician who has been the Mayor of Makati since 2016. She formerly served in the Congress as Representative of Makati's 2nd District from 2007 to ...

(born 1975), Filipina politician * Abigail Breslin (born 1996), American actress * Abbey Clancy (born 1986), English model * Abigail Conceição de Souza (1921–2007), Brazilian footballer * Abbie Cornish (born 1982), Australian actress *

Abigail Cowen Abigail Cowen (born March 18, 1998) is an American actress and model. She is known for playing Dorcas in '' Chilling Adventures of Sabrina'' and Bloom in Netflix's live-action adaptation of ''Winx Club'' titled '' Fate: The Winx Saga''. Early ...

(born 1998), American actress *

Abigail Cruttenden Abigail Lucy Cruttenden (born 23 March 1968) is an English actress. Cruttenden played opposite Sean Bean as his character Richard Sharpe's wife Jane in several episodes of the TV series '' Sharpe.'' In 2007, Cruttenden joined the cast from the ...

(born 1969), English television actress *

Abby Dahlkemper Abigail Lynn Dahlkemper (born May 13, 1993) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team. Early life Dahlkemper was born ...

(born 1993), American soccer player *

Abigail Fillmore Abigail Fillmore ( née Powers; March 13, 1798 – March 30, 1853), wife of President Millard Fillmore, was the First Lady of the United States from 1850 to 1853. She began work as a schoolteacher at the age of 16, where she took on Millard Fillm ...

''née'' Powers (1798–1853), First Lady of the United States to President

Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853; he was the last to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House. A former member of the U.S. House of Represen ...

Abigail Folger Abigail () was an Israelite woman in the Hebrew Bible married to Nabal; she married the future King David after Nabal's death ( 1 Samuel ). Abigail was David's second wife, after Saul and Ahinoam's daughter, Michal, whom Saul later married ...

(1943–1969), American heiress and murder victim *

Abigail Glen Abigail Alice Glen (born 2 April 2001) is an English cricketer who currently plays for Yorkshire and Northern Diamonds. An all-rounder, she plays as a right-arm medium bowler and right-handed batter. Early life Glen was born on 2 April 2001 in ...

(born 2001), English cricketer * Annette Abigael Hamilton (1806–1879), Norwegian author and fairy-tale collector *

Abigail and Brittany Hensel Abigail () was an Israelite woman in the Hebrew Bible married to Nabal; she married the future David, King David after Nabal's death (Books of Samuel, 1 Samuel ). Abigail was David's second wife, after Saul and Ahinoam's daughter, Michal, ...

(born 1990), American conjoined twins *

Abigail Franks Bilhah Abigail Levy Franks (c. 1696–1756) was an English–born Ashkenazi Jews, Jewish woman who lived most of her life in the Province of New York, British America. Born in London and raised in New York City, she married a London-born merchant ...

(c. 1696–1756), Colonial-era New York City Jewish woman and letter writer *

Abigael González Valencia Abigael González Valencia (; born October 18, 1972), commonly referred to by his alias El Cuini (), is a Mexican suspected drug lord and former leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a criminal group based in Jalisco. He was also ...

(born 1972), Mexican suspected drug lord *

Abigail Campbell Kawānanakoa Abigail Wahiikaahuula Campbell Kawānanakoa (also known as Princess David Kawānanakoa, January 1, 1882 – April 12, 1945) was a politician and Princess of Hawaii. Life Abigail Campbell was born January 1, 1882, in Honolulu. She was born in ...

(1882–1945), Hawaiian princess *

Abigail Kapiolani Kawānanakoa Abigail Helen Kapiʻolani Kawānanakoa (March 14, 1903 – April 8, 1961) was a member of the House of Kawānanakoa and the eldest daughter of Prince David Kawānanakoa and Princess Abigail Campbell Kawānanakoa. Life She was born in Honolulu, ...

(1903–1961), Hawaiian princess *

Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa (April 23, 1926December 11, 2022), also known as Princess Abigail Kawānanakoa and sometimes called Kekau, was a Native Hawaiian-American heiress, equestrian, philanthropist and supporter of Native Hawaiia ...

(1926=2022), Hawaiian princess *

Abigail Maheha Abigail Maheha (July 10, 1832 – February 13, 1861) was a Hawaiian chiefess (aliʻi) of the Kingdom of Hawaii. At a young age, she was chosen to attend the Chiefs' Children's School (later renamed the Royal School) taught by the American mission ...

(1832–1861), Hawaiian princess * Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham (c.1670–1734), British baroness * Abigail (actress), aka Abigail Rogan (born 1946), Australian actress *

Abigail Rogers Abigail Rogers (1818–1869) was an American advocate for women's rights and women's education. She founded the Michigan Women's College, and was posthumously inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 2007. Biography Rogers spent her ...

, (1818–1869) American advocate for women's rights and women's education *

Abigail Seldin Abigail Pamela Seldin (born January 1988) is an American philanthropist, higher education expert, and edtech entrepreneur. She is the chief executive officer and co-founder of the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation, and is known for founding College ...

(born 1988), American edtech entrepreneur * Abigail Adams Smith (1765–1813), first-born child of John Adams, the former President of the United States *

Abigail Spanberger Abigail Anne Spanberger (née Davis, August 7, 1979) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from since 2019. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Her district includes most of the northern suburbs of Richmond, as well a ...

(born 1979), American politician * Abigail Spears (born 1981), American tennis player *

Abigail Spencer Abigail Leigh Spencer (born August 4, 1981) is an American actress. She began her career playing Rebecca Tyree on the ABC daytime television soap opera ''All My Children'' (1999–2001) before going on to star in the Lifetime crime drama series, ...

(born 1981), American actress *

Abigail Swann Abigail L. S. Swann is an Associate professor, Associate Professor of Atmospheric sciences, Atmospheric Sciences and Ecology at the University of Washington. Her research group focuses on questions that examine the interactions between plants and ...

, American atmospheric scientist and ecologist * Abigael Tarus (born 1981), Kenyan volleyball player * Abigail Thorn (born 1993), British actress and YouTuber who runs the channel "Philosophy Tube" *

Abi Titmuss Abigail Evelyn Titmuss (born 8 February 1976) is an English actress, television personality and poker player. She is also a former glamour model and nurse. Early life and education Born in Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, Titmuss grew up in ...

(born 1976), British actress *

Abigail Goodrich Whittelsey Abigail Goodrich Whittelsey (, Goodrich; married surname, Whittelsey and sometimes spelled Whittlesey; November 29, 1788, Ridgefield, Connecticut - July 16, 1858, Colchester, Connecticut) was an American educator, magazine founder, and editor. In ...

(1788–1858), American educator, publisher, editor * Abigail Williams (Salem witch trials) (1680–c.1697), a primary accuser in the Salem witch trials; portrayed in the Arthur Miller play ''The Crucible'' Used as a pseudonym: *

Abigail Van Buren Dear Abby is an American advice column founded in 1956 by Pauline Phillips under the pen name "Abigail Van Buren" and carried on today by her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, who now owns the legal rights to the pen name. History According to Paulin ...

, pen name of Pauline Philips, pseudonymous author of the ''Dear Abby'' column

Fictional characters

* Abigaëlle, a character from the 2014 film
Abigaëlle
' * Abigail, a character in the Acts of Faith trilogy by T. Davis Bunn and

Janette Oke Janette Oke (née Steeves; born February 18, 1935) (pronounced "oak") is a Canadian author of inspirational fiction. Her books are often set in a pioneer era and centered on female protagonists. Her first novel, ''Love Comes Softly'', was publish ...

, wife of Stephen (St. Stephen) * Abigail, a boss villain character in the '' Final Fight'' series, and most recently a playable character in '' Street Fighter V''. * Abby, a 12-year-old vampire character in the 2010 film '' Let Me In'' * Abigaille, a character in

Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...

's opera ''

Nabucco ''Nabucco'' (, short for Nabucodonosor ; en, " Nebuchadnezzar") is an Italian-language opera in four acts composed in 1841 by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera. The libretto is based on the biblical books of 2 Kings, ...

'' * Abigail, one of the characters available for marriage in farming simulation role-playing video game '' Stardew Valley'' * Dark Priest Abigail, in the '' Bastard!!'' Japanese manga/anime series *

Mother Abagail The following is a partial list of characters from Stephen King's novel ''The Stand''. The novel was published in 1978, with its narrative set during the 1980s; however, a second edition was released in 1990, is considerably longer than the firs ...

, the personification of good in Stephen King's novel '' The Stand'' * Princess Abigail, the haughty daughter of King Midas on the ABC television series, ''

Once Upon A Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'') in storytelling in the ...

'' * Abigail the Breeze Fairy, a character from the ''

Rainbow Magic ''Rainbow Magic'' is a British children's fiction brand originally created by Working Partners and now owned by IoM Media Ventures. It is best known for the children's books published by Orchard Books. The books are ghostwritten by a number of ...

'' book franchise * Abigail Anderson (aka Abby or Abs), playable character in Naughty Dog's videogame '' The Last of Us Part II'' * Abby Archer, the main protagonist in the Canadian animated television series '' Grossology'' *

Abbey Bartlet The television series ''The West Wing'' is a political drama series which was originally broadcast on NBC. During its seven seasons the ensemble cast of stars, recurring stars, and guest stars earned 157 acting nominations (often competing in th ...

, the First Lady of the United States in the television drama '' The West Wing'' * Abigail Bird, a supporting character in the 1976–2000 American comic strip ''

Motley's Crew ''Motley's Crew'' was an American newspaper comic strip by Ben Templeton and Tom Forman with satirical social commentary. With readership spread among 250 newspapers in the United States alone, the comic strip acquired a highly devoted but rela ...

'' * Abigail Brand, Special Agent, commanding officer of

S.W.O.R.D. S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient World Observation and Response Department) is a fictional counterterrorism and intelligence agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Its purpose is to deal with extraterrestrial threats to world ...

, that deals with defending the Earth from extraterrestrial threats *

Abi Branning Abi Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Lorna Fitzgerald. She was introduced by executive producer Kate Harwood on 3 July 2006 as an extension to the Branning family, along with father Max (J ...

, in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' * Abigail Callaghan, a minor character from the 2014 Disney 3D computer-animated film '' Big Hero 6'' * Abigail Chase in ''

National Treasure The idea of national treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. Nationalism is an ideology that supports the nation as the fundame ...

'' film franchise *

Abigail Deveraux Abigail Deveraux is a fictional character from ''Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. Abigail was created by scriptwriter Sheri Anderson and executive producer Ken Corday. Abigail's storylines often focus on young love ...

, student in the NBC soap opera ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...

'' * Abigail Dixon, a student in the Australian mockumentary ''

Summer Heights High ''Summer Heights High'' is an Australian mockumentary television sitcom written by and starring Chris Lilley. Set in the fictional Summer Heights High School in an outer suburb of Sydney (based on Summer Hill), it is revolves around high scho ...

'' * Abby Hammond, daughter character in the television series '' Santa Clarita Diet'' * Abby Hatcher, the eponymous protagonist in the Nick Jr. animated television series ''

Abby Hatcher ''Abby Hatcher'' (originally titled ''Abby Hatcher, Fuzzly Catcher'') is a Canadian CGI-animated television series created by Rob Hoegee. Produced by Guru Studio in conjunction with Spin Master Entertainment, the series premiered on Nickelodeon i ...

'' * Abby Holland,

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

character * Abigail Lincoln (aka Numbuh 5), a female black character from the Cartoon Network animated television series '' Codename: Kids Next Door'' *

Abby Lockhart Abigail Marjorie Lockhart, M.D. (née Wyczenski) is a fictional character from the NBC medical drama series '' ER,'' portrayed by Maura Tierney. Usually referred to as simply Abby, she first appears as a guest star in the first half of the six ...

, medical doctor in the television drama '' ER'' * Abby Maitland, zoologist in the British television series ''

Primeval Primeval may refer to: * Primeval forest, an area of forest that has attained great age * Primeval number, a positive integer satisfying certain conditions * Primeval history, name given by biblical scholars to the first eleven chapters of the Bo ...

'' * Abigail Mills, character in ''

Sleepy Hollow (TV series) ''Sleepy Hollow'' is an American supernatural drama television series that aired on Fox from September 16, 2013, to March 31, 2017. The series is loosely based on the 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", by Washington Irving, with add ...

'' * Abigail Roberts, the name of John Marston's wife in ''Red Dead Redemption'' and ''RDR 2'' *

Abby Sciuto Abigail "Abby" Beethoven Sciuto is a fictional character from the '' NCIS'' television series on CBS Television, and is portrayed by Pauley Perrette. In a season 10 episode entitled "Hit and Run", a young Abby was played by Brighton Sharbino in ...

, forensic scientist in the television drama ''

NCIS NCIS or N.C.I.S. may refer to: Law enforcement * National Criminal Intelligence Service, the predecessor to the Serious Organised Crime Agency of the United Kingdom * Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a United States law enforcement and intelli ...

'' * Abigail Stevenson, in ''

The Baby-sitters Club ''The Baby-Sitters Club'' (also known as BSC) is a series of novels written by Ann M. Martin and published by Scholastic between 1986 and 2000, that sold 176 million copies. Martin wrote the first 35 novels in the series, but the subsequent nove ...

'' children's book series by Ann Martin * Abigail Stone, a supporting

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

character from

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

2021 film,

Spirit Untamed ''Spirit Untamed'' is a 2021 American computer-animated adventure film An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adv ...

. * Abigail Jane Stewart in

Kristiana Gregory Kristiana Gregory (born 1951) is an American children's author. Gregory grew up in a small town by the sea near Los Angeles with her parents and two younger siblings. Gregory is a popular author of children's historical fiction, including sever ...

's ''The Winter of Red Snow: The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart'' *

Abigail Stock This article is a list of fictional characters who are featured in British teen drama '' Skins'', that follows the lives of a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of sixth form. Its controversial story-lines h ...

, a supporting character in the British television series '' Skins'' * Abigail Trant, a character from the 1991 film '' The Man in the Moon'' *

Abigail Williams Abigail Williams (born c. 1681, date of death unknown) was an 11- or 12-year-old girl who, along with nine-year-old Betty Parris, was among the first of the children to falsely accuse their neighbors of witchcraft in 1692; these accusations eve ...

, character in the CBS soap opera ''As the World Turns'' * Abigail Zenobia, a daughter of Valentine Michael Smith and Anne in the 1961 science fiction novel '' Stranger in a Strange Land'' * Abigail Bellweather, a character from the TV series '' Motherland: Fort Salem'' * Abigail Pershing, formerly known as Abagail Merriwick, is a main character in the Hallmark Channel original series ''

The Good Witch ''The Good Witch'' is a television film that aired on the Hallmark Channel on January 19, 2008. It stars Catherine Bell (actress), Catherine Bell as Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale and Chris Potter (actor), Chris Potter as chief of police Jake Ru ...

People with the surname

* Francis Abigail (1840–1921), Australian politician * Peter Abigail (born 1948), Australian army officer *

Robert Abigail Robert Abigail (born 1980) is a Dutch DJ.(17 August 2008).Robert Abigail zomert met Mojito-cocktail, Showbizzsite.be. Retrieved on 2009-07-23. Biography Robert Abigail was born and raised in Rotterdam (The Netherlands), where he started his succe ...

(born 1980), Dutch DJ

References

Notes

Sources

* А. В. Суперанская (A. V. Superanskaya). "Современный словарь личных имён: Сравнение. Происхождение. Написание" (''Modern Dictionary of First Names: Comparison. Origins. Spelling''). Айрис-пресс. Москва, 2005. {{Given name, type=both Feminine given names English feminine given names Hebrew feminine given names Jewish given names