Abby
Abby was the 731st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 379 babies. Its best year was 2001, when it ranked 163rd; the most babies were born in 2003 (2,048). Over the last ten years it has moved down 297 places. More babies were named Abby in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Abigail, 'my father's joy' · Hebrew, English
Say it AB-ee /ˈæbi/
- Rank in 2025
- #731 girls, down 222 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 379girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20032,048 babies
- Total since 1880
- 62,036babies recorded
What does the name Abby mean?
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
Abby popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 181 since 1924.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #731 | 379 |
| 2020 | #509 | 597 |
| 2010 | #284 | 1,149 |
| 2000 | #205 | 1,566 |
| 1990 | #222 | 1,293 |
| 1980 | #268 | 930 |
| 1970 | #810 | 171 |
| 1960 | #653 | 241 |
| 1950 | #1,115 | 68 |
| 1940 | #1,203 | 37 |
| 1930 | #2,110 | 16 |
| 1920 | #2,357 | 15 |
| 1910 | #2,140 | 6 |
| 1900 | #1,561 | 7 |
| 1890 | #1,210 | 6 |
| 1880 | #738 | 6 |
How popular is Abby, counting every spelling?
Abby is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #542 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #731 for Abby 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 Abby?
379 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Abby (0.11 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Abby 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 22 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Abby.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Abby?
About 59,500 people born in the US named Abby are alive today, with a median age of 27; half are between 19 and 39. That makes Abby 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.
Abby by state
How common Abby was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (2.1×), Maryland (1.9×), Connecticut (1.9×), Florida (1.8×), Utah (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Iowa, Idaho, Nebraska.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Abby: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Abby, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Abby · Sibling names for Abby
Abby is also a nickname for Abigail.
Questions about the name Abby
What does Abby mean?
Abby means “pet form of Abigail, 'my father's joy'” (Hebrew, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Abby?
Abby was the 731st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 379 babies. Its best year was 2001, when it ranked 163rd; the most babies were born in 2003 (2,048). Over the last ten years it has moved down 297 places. More babies were named Abby in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Abby a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Abby in the US.
Where is Abby most popular?
In 2021–2025, Abby was most common in New Jersey (0.60 per 1,000 girls), followed by Maryland and Connecticut.