UK girl's name
Abigayle
Father's joy or source of joy.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2016. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Abigayle is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Abigayle popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2016 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4763, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1999, with 30 births.
This profile covers 286 England and Wales registrations across 20 recorded years from 1996 to 2016. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 13% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 314 living people in the UK are called Abigayle. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2017 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Abigayle ranked #4763 for girls in England and Wales in 2016, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1999, when 30 girls were registered as Abigayle.
- • Abigayle ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #674 in 2011.
- • About 314 living people in the UK are estimated to have Abigayle as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4763
2016
Births in 2016
4
Latest year
Peak year
1999
30 births
Estimated living
314
2026
Meaning
What does Abigayle mean?
The name Abigayle originated from the Hebrew name Avigayil, which means "father's joy" or "source of joy." It is derived from the Hebrew words "av," meaning father, and "gil," meaning joy or rejoicing. The name has been in use since ancient times and can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Abigayle is in the Book of Samuel, where it refers to a woman named Abigail, who was the wife of Nabal and later became the wife of King David. Abigail is described as a woman of great wisdom and intelligence, who prevented a conflict between her husband and David.
Throughout history, the name Abigayle has been used by various notable individuals. One of the most famous was Abigail Adams (1744-1818), the wife of the second President of the United States, John Adams. She was a strong advocate for women's rights and played a significant role in the early years of the American Republic.
Another well-known Abigayle was Abigail Van Buren (1918-2013), an American advice columnist who wrote the famous "Dear Abby" column for over 50 years under the pen name Abigail Van Buren. Her column offered practical advice on a wide range of topics and was syndicated in numerous newspapers across the United States.
In the literary world, Abigail Rountree (1672-1761) was an English writer and poet who is considered one of the earliest female writers to have her works published in England. Her book of poems, "Poems on Several Occasions," was published in 1696.
Abigail Breslin (born in 1996) is a modern-day American actress who rose to prominence at a young age for her role in the film "Little Miss Sunshine." She has since appeared in numerous other films and television shows and has received several awards and nominations for her acting.
Abigail Folger (1943-1969) was an American heiress and socialite who gained tragic notoriety as one of the victims of the Manson Family murders in 1969. Her murder, along with several others, shocked the nation and became a significant part of American cultural history.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Abigayle over time
The chart below shows babies named Abigayle registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2016. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Abigayle, the clearest high point is 1999. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2016, compared with 30 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Abigayle by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Abigayle was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4377 | 30 | 6 |
| 2000s | #1764 | 153 | 10 |
| 1990s | #855 | 103 | 4 |
Geography
Where Abigayle is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Abigayle. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Abigayle ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #674 in 2011.
Across the UK
Abigayle in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#674 in 2011
8 years of NRS records, 30 total registered
Related
Names similar to Abigayle
- Amelia 94,830
- Ava 54,556
- Amy 52,495
- Alice 46,815
- Abigail 45,658
- Amber 31,922
- Anna 27,802
- Alexandra 19,455
- Amelie 18,051
- Abbie 15,971
- Aimee 15,158
- Annabelle 15,120
FAQ
Abigayle: questions and answers
How popular is the name Abigayle in the UK right now?
In 2016, Abigayle was ranked #4763 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Abigayle most popular?
The peak year on record was 1999, with 30 babies registered as Abigayle in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Abigayle?
Father's joy or source of joy.
How many people are called Abigayle in the UK?
A total of 286 babies have been registered as Abigayle across the 20 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 30 more in Scotland.
Where is Abigayle most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Abigayle ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #674 in 2011. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.