| Abigail | Anna | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | my father is joy | grace, favour |
| Origin | hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | AB-ih-gayl | AN-uh |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2003 (15,932) | 1918 (15,666) |
| In 2025 | 4,941 | 2,521 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Abigail | Anna |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 37,379 | 17,726 |
| 2010s | 118,734 | 51,326 |
| 2000s | 150,926 | 90,325 |
| 1990s | 72,779 | 78,595 |
| 1980s | 20,658 | 57,327 |
| 1970s | 6,704 | 37,813 |
| 1960s | 2,411 | 40,935 |
| 1950s | 1,671 | 41,701 |
| 1940s | 647 | 41,282 |
| 1930s | 365 | 66,598 |
| 1920s | 322 | 123,895 |
| 1910s | 270 | 118,998 |
| 1900s | 136 | 54,918 |
| 1890s | 128 | 55,261 |
| 1880s | 133 | 38,159 |
From Hebrew Avigail: av 'father' + gil 'joy, rejoicing,' usually 'my father is joy' or 'my father's joy.' Borne by one of David's wives, remembered for her wisdom and level head (1 Samuel 25). Etymology well established.
The Greek and Latin form of Hebrew 'Channah' (Hannah), meaning grace or favour. Reached most European languages via the Greek New Testament (the prophetess Anna).
Abigail is more popular than Anna today: about 4,941 US babies were given the name Abigail in 2025, compared with 2,521 named Anna.
Abigail means my father is joy (hebrew origin), while Anna means grace, favour (hebrew origin).
In US records, Abigail first appears in 1880 and Anna in 1880, so Abigail has the longer recorded history.