Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Abbie

Abbie is short for Abigail. Abigail is Hebrew in origin, borne from the Bible as one of King David’s wives. The name comes from “Avigayil” which means “Father’s joy”. Abigail shows up in the Bible (1 Samuel 25-30) as Nabal’s wife, “a woman of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance.” She brings offerings to David when Nabal callously refused David and his soldiers supplies even after the men protected Nabal’s shepherds and possessions from harm. After Nabal’s death, David asked the lovely Abigail to marry him and she accepted. The name came into popularity in England in the 16th century under the influence of the Puritans. Interestingly, Abigail also became a common name in 17th century literature for a lady’s maid or servant. The pet forms of the name, Abby, Abbie, Abbey, and Gail have all become given names in their own right. Abbie is especially popular in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland where the name ranks on the Top 50 list of most commonly used female names. Americans prefer the Abby spelling with the “y” rather than the “ie”.

All About the Baby Name – Abbie

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME ABBIE

The number one personality is a leader - strong and competitive. They are willing to initiate action and take risks. One personalities work hard toward their endeavors and have the ability to apply their creative and innovative thinking skills with strong determination. They believe in their ability to succeed and are too stubborn to be hindered by obstacles. Ones meet obstacles head-on with such mental vigor and energy that you better step aside. They resent taking orders, so don't try telling them what to do either. This is an intensely active personality, but they are also known as starters rather than finishers. They have a propensity to become bored and will move quickly to the next project if not properly challenged.  They are the ones to think up and put into action new and brilliant ideas, but they are not the ones to stick around and manage them. This personality has an enthusiastic and pioneering spirit. They are distinctly original.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME ABBIE

Cute little Abbie has enjoyed a long history as a given name in her own right in the United States. The name dates back to at least the late 1800s which is when the U.S. government first began tracking naming trends in America. Although we can say with confidence the name was in circulation even prior to the 19th century. Abbie was used with strong moderation at the beginning of the 20th century but began her quick descent soon thereafter. Between the 1940s and 1970s Abbie was so rarely used that the name fell off the popularity charts altogether. She made a comeback in the 1980s but the name just isn’t doing as well as Abby, or Abigail for that matter. In fact, Abigail is a Top 10 female name in America – hugely popular. We think Abbie makes for a better nickname than a given name; it just feels so colloquial as a stand-alone name. But then again, that’s part of her sweet charm. Plus some parents prefer the laid-back and informal “nicknames” on their children’s birth certificates. It’s more common than you might think.

Quick Facts

ON ABBIE

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

790

PRONUNCIATION:

AB-ee

SIMPLE MEANING:

Father's Joy

Characteristics

OF ABBIE

Independent

Individualistic

Ambitious

Strong-willed

Inventive

Successful

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Abbie

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ABBIE

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Abbie

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ABBIE

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Abbie


Popular Songs

ON ABBIE

Gaslighting Abbie
a song by Steely Dan

Famous People

NAMED ABBIE

Abbie Cornish (Australian actress)
Abbot "Abbie" Hoffman (activist in the counterculture movement)

Children of Famous People

NAMED ABBIE

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Abbie

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ABBIE

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Abbie