Abigail
Girl name · #41 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Abigail? In official American birth records, Abigail has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Abigail ranks #41 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 4,941 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #7, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 364 girls born in 2025 was named Abigail.
Babies named Abigail per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Abigail first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 12 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2003, when 15,932 girls were named Abigail — good for #6 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Abigail against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Abigail in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Abigail is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Abigail is most common
Geography matters for names, and Abigail is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Abigail is most common in AK (12 per 1,000), VT (10 per 1,000), DE (9.3 per 1,000), NH (8.7 per 1,000), ME (8.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 3.8 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Abigail is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Abigail
Abigail carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Abigail family went to about 5,445 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #35, versus #41 for Abigail alone.
Names like Abigail
Statistically, parents drawn to Abigail tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Madison, Grace, Autumn, Aaliyah, and Hailey.
MadisonGraceAutumnAaliyahHaileyMadelynMadelineAudrey
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Abigail | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,941 | #41 |
| 2024 | 5,535 | #32 |
| 2023 | 5,687 | #31 |
| 2022 | 6,306 | #24 |
| 2021 | 6,993 | #17 |
| 2020 | 7,917 | #12 |
| 2019 | 9,196 | #11 |
| 2018 | 9,879 | #11 |
| 2017 | 10,645 | #10 |
| 2016 | 11,796 | #8 |
| 2015 | 12,422 | #7 |
| 2014 | 12,114 | #8 |
| 2013 | 12,429 | #8 |
| 2012 | 12,730 | #7 |
| 2011 | 13,266 | #7 |
| 2010 | 14,257 | #7 |
| 2009 | 14,401 | #8 |
| 2008 | 15,088 | #8 |
| 2007 | 15,476 | #8 |
| 2006 | 15,633 | #6 |
| 2005 | 15,756 | #4 |
| 2004 | 15,436 | #6 |
| 2003 | 15,932 | #6 |
| 2002 | 15,303 | #7 |
| 2001 | 14,807 | #8 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Abigail?
In official American birth records, the name Abigail first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 12 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Abigail a popular girl name?
Abigail ranked #41 among girls in 2025 with 4,941 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #7.
When was the name Abigail most popular?
Abigail peaked in 2003, when 15,932 American girls received the name (ranked #6 that year). Since 2003 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Abigail?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 364 newborn American girls was named Abigail. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.