Abbey
Abbey was the 5724th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 21 babies. Its best year was 1999, when it ranked 392nd with 710 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 4,308 places. More babies were named Abbey in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Abby) pet form of Abigail, 'my father's joy' · Hebrew, English
- Rank in 2025
- #5,724 girls, down 3,383 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 21girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1999710 babies
- Total since 1880
- 17,544babies recorded
What does the name Abbey mean?
Abbey is a spelling of Abby, pronounced the same way, so it shares Abby's meaning and origin.
Abby is a pet form of Abigail, also used as a full name. Abigail is the wife of King David in 1 Samuel 25, described there as intelligent and beautiful. DMNES explains Hebrew Avigayil as "her father's joy" (av, father, plus gil, rejoicing). DMNES notes the name was popular among Dutch, English and French Protestants in the 16th century. Wiktionary also lists Abby as an occasional pet form of Albert.
אֲבִיגַיִל (Biblical Hebrew, “her father's joy”)
How sure is this? Probable. The Hebrew elements are clear; translations vary ('my father is joy', 'her father's joy').
Related names: Abigail, Abbie, Abbey, Gail.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean joy.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Abby' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Abigail', DMNES (Durham University)
- 1 Samuel 25:3, The JPS Tanakh: Gender-Sensitive Edition (via Sefaria), Jewish Publication Society / Sefaria
Abbey popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 35 since 1914.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,724 | 21 |
| 2020 | #2,341 | 75 |
| 2010 | #886 | 299 |
| 2000 | #425 | 660 |
| 1990 | #481 | 508 |
| 1980 | #659 | 273 |
| 1970 | #2,307 | 33 |
| 1960 | #2,730 | 20 |
| 1950 | #4,316 | 7 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Abbey, counting every spelling?
Abbey is a spelling of Abby, a name family that ranked #542 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #5,724 for Abbey on its own. Together these spellings went to 554 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abby | 379 | #731 | 2,366 |
| Abbie | 125 | #1,652 | 524 |
| Abbey | 21 | #5,724 | 143 |
| Abi | 10 | #9,460 | 71 |
| Aby | 12 | #8,363 | 52 |
| Abbi | 7 | #11,942 | 38 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Abbey?
21 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Abbey (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Abbey born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 401 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Abbey.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Abbey?
About 17,100 people born in the US named Abbey are alive today, with a median age of 29; half are between 22 and 37. That makes Abbey mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Abbey by state
How common Abbey was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 49 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Abbey: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Abbey, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Abbey
What does Abbey mean?
Abbey is a spelling of Abby, which means “pet form of Abigail, 'my father's joy'” (Hebrew, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Abbey?
Abbey was the 5724th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 21 babies. Its best year was 1999, when it ranked 392nd with 710 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 4,308 places. More babies were named Abbey in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Abbey a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Abbey in the US.
Where is Abbey most popular?
In 2021–2025, Abbey was most common in California (0.02 per 1,000 girls), followed by Florida and Florida.