girl's name
Abby
AB-ee (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 78,328
the United States
#731
2025 births
Abby means my father is joy, and France ranks it 322nd — ahead of Scotland at 359th, Ireland at 453rd and the United States at 731st, which is not where an English diminutive of a Hebrew name should lead.
- Abby is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2003, when 2,048 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 8,748 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Abby Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 64 |
| 1890s | 57 |
| 1900s | 49 |
| 1910s | 110 |
| 1920s | 187 |
| 1930s | 200 |
| 1940s | 462 |
| 1950s | 1,172 |
| 1960s | 2,074 |
| 1970s | 3,148 |
| 1980s | 11,945 |
| 1990s | 13,902 |
| 2000s | 17,261 |
| 2010s | 8,442 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,963 |
What Abby Means
Abby means my father is joy, or my father rejoices, carried from Abigail. The Hebrew is a statement about a parent rather than a description of the child.
Where Abby Comes From
Abby shortens Abigail, the Hebrew Avigayil — avi, my father, joined to gil, joy. The biblical Abigail talks David out of killing her husband Nabal by meeting him on the road with provisions and an argument, and marries David after Nabal dies; she is one of the few women in Samuel given a speech that changes the plot. The name became a word for a lady's maid in English drama, which drove it out of use for two centuries before it returned.
Abby in Use
Abby peaked in the United States in 2003, when 2,048 babies were registered, and is falling. It now ranks 322nd in France on 170 births — its strongest market — then 359th in Scotland on 10, 453rd in Ireland on 8, 731st in the United States on 383 and 2,671st in England and Wales on 10, across 78,328 lifetime births in six markets.
How Popular Is Abby?
In 2025, Abby was given to 379 babies in the United States, ranking #731 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Abby Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Abby
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Abby Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Abby over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Abby
- English AB-ee /ˈæb.i/
Abby in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Dutch
- Abigail
Sibling Names for Abby
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Abby — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Abby
What does the name Abby mean?
My father is joy — the Hebrew avi, my father, joined to gil, joy.
Who was Abigail?
The woman who talks David out of killing her husband, and one of few in Samuel given a speech that changes the plot.
Why did Abigail fall out of use?
It became a word for a lady's maid in English drama, which drove it out for two centuries.
Where is Abby most used?
France at 322nd, ahead of Scotland, Ireland and the United States.
How popular is the name Abby?
In 2025, Abby was given to 379 babies in the United States, ranking #731 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Is Abby a girl's or a boy's name?
Abby is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Abby?
Abby has 2 syllables.
When was Abby most popular?
Abby peaked in 2003, when 2,048 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Abby a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Abby currently ranks #224 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.