| Abigail | Rebecca | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | my father is joy | To bind, to join |
| Origin | hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | AB-ih-gayl | ruh-BEK-uh |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2003 (15,932) | 1981 (16,737) |
| In 2025 | 4,941 | 872 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Abigail | Rebecca |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 37,379 | 6,113 |
| 2010s | 118,734 | 17,488 |
| 2000s | 150,926 | 43,741 |
| 1990s | 72,779 | 109,721 |
| 1980s | 20,658 | 136,248 |
| 1970s | 6,704 | 137,285 |
| 1960s | 2,411 | 99,462 |
| 1950s | 1,671 | 115,690 |
| 1940s | 647 | 45,313 |
| 1930s | 365 | 12,615 |
| 1920s | 322 | 12,281 |
| 1910s | 270 | 9,474 |
| 1900s | 136 | 4,052 |
| 1890s | 128 | 3,660 |
| 1880s | 133 | 2,849 |
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.
Rebecca comes from the Hebrew Rivka, of debated meaning — often linked to “to bind” or read as “captivating.” In the Bible she is the wife of Isaac.
Abigail is more popular than Rebecca today: about 4,941 US babies were given the name Abigail in 2025, compared with 872 named Rebecca.
Abigail means my father is joy (hebrew origin), while Rebecca means To bind, to join (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Abigail first appears in 1880 and Rebecca in 1880, so Abigail has the longer recorded history.