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