nahida's Personal Name List

From the Chinese 志 (zhì) meaning "purpose, will" and 姝 (shū) meaning "beautiful girl".

Turkish feminine form of Zahid.

Medieval French form of Ivo 1. This was the name of two French saints: an 11th-century bishop of Chartres and a 13th-century parish priest and lawyer, also known as Ivo of Kermartin, the patron saint of Brittany.

From the Chinese 月 (yuè) meaning "moon" and 水 (shuǐ) meaning "water".

From the Chinese 媛 (yuàn) meaning "beauty, beautiful woman" or 苑 (yuàn) meaning "pasture, park, garden" and 瑛 (yīng) meaning "luster of gem, crystal" or 莹 (yíng) meaning "luster of gems, bright, lustrous".

From Chinese 英 (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero", 颖 (yǐng) meaning "clever", or 影 (yǐng) meaning "image, shadow", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.

From Sino-Korean 譽 "fame, reputation; praise" and 恩 "kindness, mercy, charity". A famous bearer is South Korean singer Park Ye-eun (1989-), also known as Yenny and HA:TFELT.

A famous bearier of this name, Jang Wonyoung from IZONE

Simply from the English word, a derivative of Old English wis "wise".

Diminutive of Victoria.

Derived from Georgian ვაჟი (vazhi) meaning "son".

Modern Greek feminine form of Basil 1.

Means "gazelle" in Aramaic. Tabitha in the New Testament was a woman restored to life by Saint Peter. Her name is translated into Greek as Dorcas (see Acts 9:36). As an English name, Tabitha became common after the Protestant Reformation. It was popularized in the 1960s by the television show Bewitched, in which Tabitha (sometimes spelled Tabatha) is the daughter of the main character.

Middle English frequentative (verb) or diminutive (noun) of spark.

French form of Sophia.

Form of Sophia used in various languages.

Variant form of Siri.

From Chinese 淑 (shū) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming" combined with 芬 (fēn) meaning "fragrance, aroma, perfume". Other character combinations are possible as well.

From the Chinese 诗 (shī) meaning "poetry, poem" and 芸 (yún) meaning "rue" or "art, talent, ability, skill".

From Japanese 代 (shiro) meaning "generation" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.

From an Old Testament place name possibly meaning "tranquil" in Hebrew. It is also used prophetically in the Old Testament to refer to a person, often understood to be the Messiah (see Genesis 49:10). This may in fact be a mistranslation.

This name was brought to public attention after actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt gave it to their daughter in 2006.

Variant transcription of Seol-hyeon.

A famous bearer of this name is singer and actress Kim Seol-hyun (1995-), a member of the South Korean girl group AOA.

Means "moon" in Greek. This was the name of a Greek goddess of the moon, a Titan. She was sometimes identified with the goddess Artemis.

From Japanese 早 (sa) meaning "early, fast", 小 (sa) meaning "little, small", 真 (sana) meaning "true, reality", 颯 (sa) meaning "sudden, quick, sound of the wind", 紗 (sa) meaning "gauze", 五 (sa) meaning "five", 佐 (sa) meaning "assistant, help", 左 (sa) meaning "left", 沙 (sa) or 砂 (sa) both meaning "sand", 彩 (sa) meaning "colour", 采 (sa) meaning "dice, form, appearance, take, gather, colouring", 冴 (sa) meaning "be clear, serene, cold, skillful", 咲 (sa) meaning "blossom", 作 (sa) meaning "make, production, prepare, build", 桜 (sa) meaning "cherry blossom", 皐 (sa) meaning "swamp, shore", 三 (sa) meaning "three" or 実 (sa) meaning "reality, truth", 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens", 奈 (na) meaning "what", 南 (na) meaning "south", 名 (na) meaning "name", 那 (na) meaning "what", 茄 (na) meaning "eggplant", 七 (na) meaning "seven" or 直 (na) meaning "straight" combined with 苗 (nae) meaning "seedling, sapling, shoot", 愛 (e) meaning "love, affection", 絵 (e) meaning "picture, drawing, painting, sketch", 慧 (e) meaning "wise", 得 (e) meaning "gain, get, find, earn, acquire, can, may, able to, profit, advantage, benefit", 枝 (e) meaning "bough, branch, twig, limb", 恵 (e) meaning "favor, blessing, grace, kindness", 江 (e) meaning "creek, inlet, bay" or 依 (e) meaning "reliant, depend on, consequently, therefore, due to". Other kanji combinations are possible.

A famous male bearer is Sanae Kikuta, a Japanese mixed martial artist who rose to popularity fighting in the Pancrase organization and a famous female bearer is Sanae Kobayashi, a Japanese voice actress formerly affiliated with Production Baobab, and now with Sigma Seven.

From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.

This name can be used as 冴希, 彩樹 or 彩木 with 冴 (go, ko, sa.eru, koo.ru, hi.eru) meaning "be clear, serene, cold, skilful", 彩 (sai, irodo.ru, sae) meaning "coloring, paint, makeup", combine with 子 (ko) meaning "child"

From 冴え (sae) meaning "clarity; skilfulness," also written with a combination of a sa kanji, like 小 meaning "small," 左 meaning "left," 佐 meaning "help," 紗 meaning "gauze," 沙 meaning "sand" or 三 meaning "three," and an e kanji, like 恵 meaning "wisdom," 枝 meaning "branch, bough," 栄 meaning "glory, prosperity," 英 meaning "wisdom, brilliance," 江 meaning "inlet, bay" or 重 meaning "fold, layer."

Female bearers of this name include actress Sae Isshiki (一色 紗英), born Sae Hatakeyama (畠山 紗英) (1977-), professional shōgi player Sae Itō (伊藤 沙恵) (1993-) and artistic gymnast Sae Miyakawa (宮川 紗江) (1999-).

Simply from the name of the precious stone (which ultimately derives from Latin ruber "red"), which is the traditional birthstone of July. It came into use as a given name in the 16th century [1].

Means "singer" in Sanskrit.

Means "joy, singing" in Hebrew.

Variant of Reuben.

From Japanese 鈴 (rei) meaning "bell", 麗 (rei) meaning "beautiful, lovely" or 玲 (rei) meaning "the tinkling of jade". This name can also be formed by other kanji with the same pronunciation.

From the English word for the colour, ultimately derived from Old English read. It was originally a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion.

Can be a nickname for Rebecca, but in the case of singer Rebbie Jackson, it is derived from her name Maureen Reilette.

From the Hebrew name רָחֵל (Raḥel) meaning "ewe". In the Old Testament this is the name of the favourite wife of Jacob. Her father Laban tricked Jacob into marrying her older sister Leah first, though in exchange for seven years of work Laban allowed Jacob to marry Rachel too. Initially barren and facing her husband's anger, she offered her handmaid Bilhah to Jacob to bear him children. Eventually she was herself able to conceive, becoming the mother of Joseph and Benjamin.

The name was common among Jews in the Middle Ages, but it was not generally used as a Christian name in the English-speaking world until after the Protestant Reformation. It was moderately popular in the first half of the 20th century, but starting in the 1960s it steadily rose, reaching highs in the 1980s and 90s. The character Rachel Green on the American sitcom Friends (1994-2004) may have only helped delay its downswing.

Notable bearers include American conservationist Rachel Carson (1907-1964), British actress Rachel Weisz (1970-), and Canadian actress Rachel McAdams (1978-).

Combination of the phonetic elements quan and da, or a blend of quan with the name Wanda.

From Chinese 琦 (qí) meaning "gem" or 七 (qī) meaning "seven" all combined with themselves. Other character combinations can form this name as well.

A character from the miHoYo video game Genshin Impact bears this name, using the combinations 七七.

From an English surname that was originally given to a person who played on a pipe (a flute). It was popularized as a given name by a character from the television series Charmed, which debuted in 1998 [1].

Latinized form of the Greek name Φοίβη (Phoibe), which meant "bright, pure" from Greek φοῖβος (phoibos). In Greek mythology Phoibe was a Titan associated with the moon. This was also an epithet of her granddaughter, the moon goddess Artemis. The name appears in Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament, where it belongs to a female minister in the church at Cenchreae.

In England, it began to be used as a given name after the Protestant Reformation. It was moderately common in the 19th century. It began to rise in popularity again in the late 1980s, probably helped along by characters on the American television shows Friends (1994-2004) and Charmed (1998-2006). It is currently much more common in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand than the United States.

A moon of Saturn bears this name, in honour of the Titan.

Either a Judeo-Spanish form of Paloma or derived from Vulgar Latin palumba "dove; pigeon".

This name was used in this spelling by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy Twelfth Night (1602). This was a rare name in Shakespeare's time [1] that may have been based on Oliva or Oliver, or directly on the Latin word oliva meaning "olive". In the play Olivia is a noblewoman wooed by Duke Orsino. Instead she falls in love with his messenger Cesario, who is actually Viola in disguise.

Olivia has been used in the English-speaking world since the 18th century, though it did not become overly popular until the last half of the 20th century. Its rise in popularity in the 1970s may have been inspired by a character on the television series The Waltons (1972-1982) [2] or the singer Olivia Newton-John (1948-2022). In 1989 it was borne by a young character on The Cosby Show, which likely accelerated its growth. It reached the top rank in England and Wales by 2008 and in the United States by 2019.

A famous bearer was the British-American actress Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020).

Ukrainian form of Helen.

Meaning unknown, perhaps an invented name.

From Japanese 儀 (nori) meaning "ceremony, rites" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.

English form of Noëlle.

From Chinese 宁 (níng) meaning "peaceful, calm, serene" combined with itself. Other character combinations can form this name as well.

Means "lustre, sparkle" in Tagalog.

From Chinese 宁 (níng) meaning "peaceful, calm, serene", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.

Russian form of Niketas. This form is also used in Ukrainian and Belarusian alongside the more traditional forms Mykyta and Mikita. A notable bearer was the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971).

Derived from Sanskrit निकेत (niketa) meaning "house, habitation".

Means "rainbow" in Japanese.

Diminutive of Nicholas or Nicole.

Possibly a variant of Nahid.

From Basque meaning "wish".

From Japanese 最 (mo) meaning "utmost, most, extreme", 望 (mo) meaning "ambition, full moon, hope, desire, aspire to, expect", 杏 (mo) meaning "apricot", 杜 (mo) meaning "woods, grove", 桃 (mo) meaning "peach", 椛 (mo) meaning "autumn foliage, birch, maple, (kokuji)", 百 (mo) meaning "hundred", 花 (mo) meaning "flower", 苺 (mo) meaning "strawberry", 茂 (mo) meaning "overgrown, grow thick, be luxuriant", 萌 (mo) or 萠 (mo) both meaning "sprout, bud", 裳 (mo) meaning "skirt" or 雲 (mo) meaning "cloud" combined with 奈 (na) meaning "apple tree", 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens", 那 (na) meaning "what", 凪 (na) meaning "lull, calm", 南 (na) meaning "south", 愛 (na) meaning "love, affection", 渚 (na) meaning "beach", 真 (na) meaning "true, reality", 夏 (na) meaning "summer", 名 (na) meaning "name", 梨 (na) meaning "pear", 椰 (na) meaning "coconut tree", 永 (na) meaning "eternity, long, lengthy", 花 (na) meaning "flower", 隆 (na) meaning "noble, prosperous", 納 (na) meaning "settlement, obtain, reap, pay, supply, store" or 和 (na) meaning "harmony, Japanese style, peace, soften, Japan". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Possibly a modern name inspired by the word "mocha" or the longer name Momoka.

A notable bearer is the singer Moka Hotei.

Russian diminutive of Mikhail.

Combination of a min hanja, like 敏 (also 慜) meaning "quick, agile; smart, clever" or 珉 meaning "gem," with a ju hanja, such as 周 meaning "circumference," 珠 meaning "jewel, pearl" or 妵 meaning "pretty; adorable; nice."

Diminutive of Maria and other names beginning with M.

From Chinese 美 (měi) meaning "beauty", 梅 (méi) meaning "plum, apricot", or 莓 (méi) meaning "berry, strawberry" combined with 月 (yuè) meaning "moon, month", 悅 (yuè) meaning "delighted, happy, pleased, content", 悦 (yuè) meaning "joy", or 越 (yuè) meaning "beyond, more". Other character combinations can form this name as well.

Diminutive of names beginning with Lou or Lu, such as Louise or Lucinda.

Means "pearls" in Arabic.

English form of Lucia, in use since the Middle Ages.

An elaboration of Lucia created by Cervantes for his novel Don Quixote (1605). It was subsequently used by Molière in his play The Doctor in Spite of Himself (1666).

Feminine form of Lucianus.

Portuguese and Hungarian form of Lucia.

Feminine form of Lucius. Saint Lucia was a 4th-century martyr from Syracuse. She was said to have had her eyes gouged out, and thus she is the patron saint of the blind. She was widely revered in the Middle Ages, and her name has been used throughout Christian Europe (in various spellings). It has been used in the England since the 12th century, usually in the spellings Lucy or Luce.

Diminutive of Lola. This is the name of a 1955 novel by Vladimir Nabokov.

Spanish diminutive of Dolores. A famous bearer was Lola Montez (1821-1861; birth name Eliza Gilbert), an Irish-born dancer, actress and courtesan.

Diminutive of Elizabeth.

From Chinese 玲 (líng) meaning "tinkling of jade" combined with itself. Other character combinations can form this name as well.

From the Chinese 琳 (lín) meaning "beautiful jade, gem" or 霖 (lín) meaning "continuous heavy rain" and 飞 (fēi) meaning "fly, flying" or 霏 (fēi) meaning "falling of snow or rain".

Short form of names ending in lina.

Varient of Lillian. A contraction of Lilly and Ann.

From the name of the flower, a symbol of purity. The word is ultimately derived from Latin lilium. This is the name of the main character, Lily Bart, in the novel The House of Mirth (1905) by Edith Wharton. A famous bearer is the American actress Lily Tomlin (1939-).

Derived from Akkadian lilitu meaning "of the night". This was the name of a demon in ancient Assyrian myths. In Jewish tradition she was Adam's first wife, sent out of Eden and replaced by Eve because she would not submit to him. The offspring of Adam (or Samael) and Lilith were the evil spirits of the world.

Means "lilac" in Hebrew.

Means "heavenly flowers" or "royal child" from Hawaiian lei "flowers, lei, child" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".

Means "barker" in Russian. This was the name of a Soviet dog who became one of the first animals to go to space.

Means "deer" in Thai.

Variant of Quanda.

Hawaiian form of Diana. It was brought to wider attention in the late 1980s, likely by the Hawaiian fitness instructor Kiana Tom (1965-), who had a television show on ESPN beginning in 1988 [1].

Means "beautiful voice" from Greek κάλλος (kallos) meaning "beauty" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "voice". In Greek mythology she was a goddess of epic poetry and eloquence, one of the nine Muses.

Diminutive of Judith. A well-known bearer of this name was the American singer and actress Judy Garland (1922-1969).

Variant of Ginny.

From the Chinese 锦 (jǐn) meaning "bright and beautiful, brocade, tapestry, embroidered" and 霓 (ní) meaning "rainbow".

Form of Yelena in several languages. In Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia it is also associated with the South Slavic words jelen meaning "deer, stag" and jela meaning "fir tree".

From Japanese 彩 (iro) meaning "color" combined with Japanese 葉 (ha) meaning "leaf" or 羽 (ha) meaning "feathers". As a whole the word iroha refers to a Japanese poem.

Combination of Korean Hanja "賢" meaning "Smart" and "瑞" meaning "Felicitous". Other combinations are possible.

Chinese name meaning "Fire"

Chinese meaning "nightfall"

From Sino-Korean 弘 "enlarge, expand; liberal, great", 洪 "vast, immense; flood, deluge" or 泓 meaning "clear, deep pool of water" (hong) and 焕 "shining, brilliant, lustrous".

Variant of Hertha.

Turkish form of Khadija.

From the Norman French form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar meaning "white phantom", ultimately from the old Celtic roots *windos meaning "white" (modern Welsh gwen) and *sēbros meaning "phantom, magical being" [1]. In Arthurian legend she was the beautiful wife of King Arthur. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, she was seduced by Mordred before the battle of Camlann, which led to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur. According to the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, she engaged in an adulterous affair with Sir Lancelot.

The Cornish form of this name, Jennifer, has become popular in the English-speaking world.

German, Danish and Norwegian short form of Margaret.

Originally an Estonian Swedish (estlandssvenska) name, historically common in Dagö (Hiiumaa island) while it belonged to Sweden and was inhabited by Swedes (until the 18th century), now commonly used among Estonians. Its meaning is uncertain. Famous bearers include Estonian pop singer Getter Jaani (1993-) and Estonian football player Getter Laar (1989-).

Means "spear of strength", derived from the Old German elements ger "spear" and drud "strength". Saint Gertrude the Great was a 13th-century nun and mystic writer from Thuringia. It was probably introduced to England by settlers from the Low Countries in the 15th century. Shakespeare used the name in his play Hamlet (1600) for the mother of Hamlet. Another famous bearer was the American writer Gertrude Stein (1874-1946).

English form of Geneviève.

From native Korean 가람 (garam) meaning "river."

Means "ford, crossing" in Mongolian.

Variant of Furrina. This name also occurs in the 2020 video game Genshin Impact.

Means "flower" in Italian. It can also be considered an Italian form of the Latin names Flora and Florus.

Diminutive of Joséphine and other names containing the same sound.

Diminutive of Sofia.

Diminutive of Sofie or Josephine.

Diminutive of Sofia and other names containing the element -fia-.

Means "foxglove" in Welsh (species Digitalis purpurea). This is a recently created Welsh name.

It means "bright" in Persian.

From Sino-Korean 恩 "kindness, mercy, charity" and 彩 "variegated colors".

Means "strife, discord" in Greek. In Greek mythology Eris was the goddess of discord. She was the sister and companion of Ares.

Medieval English form of Helen. This was the usual spelling of the name until the 19th century, when the form Helen also became common.

Short form of Eleonora.

Originally a nickname, typically for names beginning with D. It can be spelled Deedee, DeeDee or Dee Dee.

From the name of the flower, which was named for the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.

Diminutive of Concepción. This name can also mean "seashell" in Spanish.

Feminine form of the Late Latin name Clarus, which meant "clear, bright, famous". The name Clarus was borne by a few early saints. The feminine form was popularized by the 13th-century Saint Clare of Assisi (called Chiara in Italian), a friend and follower of Saint Francis, who left her wealthy family to found the order of nuns known as the Poor Clares.

As an English name it has been in use since the Middle Ages, originally in the form Clare, though the Latinate spelling Clara overtook it in the 19th century and became very popular. It declined through most of the 20th century (being eclipsed by the French form Claire in English-speaking countries), though it has since recovered somewhat.

Variant of Citlalli.

this is a japanese kanji "忠" that means "sincerity", is also the stage name of a kpop idol from the group LOONA

Means "green shoot" in Greek, referring to new plant growth in the spring. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Demeter. The name is also mentioned by Paul in one of his epistles in the New Testament.

As an English name, Chloe has been in use since the Protestant Reformation. It started getting more popular in the 1980s in the United Kingdom and then the United States. It was the most popular name for girls in England and Wales from 1997 to 2002. This is one of the few English-language names that is often written with a diaeresis, as Chloë.

From Japanese 千 (chi) meaning "thousand" combined with 尚 (shou) meaning "esteem". Other kanji combinations are possible.

From Japanese 千 (chi) meaning "thousand" and 夏 (natsu) meaning "summer", as well as other kanji combinations.

From Japanese 千 (chi) meaning "thousand" combined with 枝 (e) meaning "branch", 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit" or 絵 (e) meaning "picture, painting". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

A literary place name. There is a famous old poem called "The Ballad of Chevy Chase". A chase is a parcel of hunting land, and Chevy refers to the Cheviot Hills on the Scottish border.

Comedian Chevy Chase took his name from this poem, which is mentioned in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.

Simply means "cherry" from the name of the fruit. It can also be a diminutive of Charity. It has been in use since the late 19th century.

Variant of Céline.

English form of Cecilia. This was the usual English form during the Middle Ages.

Variant of Calista.

Latinized form of Kalliope.

Feminine form of Callistus. As an English name it might also be a variant of Kallisto.

Czech, Slovak and Russian feminine form of Bronisław.

Means "pretty" from the Scottish word bonnie, which was itself derived from Middle French bon "good". It has been in use as an American given name since the 19th century, and it became especially popular after the movie Gone with the Wind (1939), in which it was the nickname of Scarlett's daughter.

Apparently a combination of Bonnie and the popular name suffix -bel.

Diminutive of Elizabeth.

Diminutive of Rebecca.

Italian form of Beatrix. Beatrice Portinari (1266-1290) was the woman who was loved by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri. She serves as Dante's guide through paradise in his epic poem the Divine Comedy (1321). This is also the name of a character in Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing (1599), in which Beatrice and Benedick are fooled into confessing their love for one another.

Diminutive of Barbara. This is the name of a doll produced by the Mattel toy company since 1959. It was named after the original designer's daughter.

Portuguese and Spanish form of Barbara.

Derived from Greek βάρβαρος (barbaros) meaning "foreign, non-Greek". According to legend, Saint Barbara was a young woman killed by her father Dioscorus, who was then killed by a bolt of lightning. She is the patron of architects, geologists, stonemasons and artillerymen. Because of her renown, the name came into general use in the Christian world in the Middle Ages. In England it became rare after the Protestant Reformation, but it was revived in the 19th century.

Bahíyyih Khánum (1846-1932), the daughter of Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith
Bahiyyih Nakhjavani (fl. 1962), a Persian writer born in Uganda, educated in the United Kingdom and the United States, living in France
Huening Bahiyyih (휴닝바히에) is a member of the K-pop girl group Kep1er (also stylised as Kepler).

Means "Lily" in Korean.

Meaning unknown. Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare and the patron goddess of the city of Athens in Greece. It is likely that her name is derived from that of the city, not vice versa. The earliest mention of her seems to be a 15th-century BC Mycenaean Greek inscription from Knossos on Crete.

The daughter of Zeus, she was said to have sprung from his head fully grown after he impregnated and swallowed her mother Metis. Athena is associated with the olive tree and the owl.

From Japanese 明日 (asu) meaning "tomorrow" and 香 (ka) meaning "fragrance", or from 飛 (asu) meaning "to fly" and 鳥 (ka) meaning "bird". Other kanji combinations can be possible as well.

Czech form of Antonia.

Diminutive of Anne 1.

Diminutive of Angela. The 1973 Rolling Stones song Angie caused this name to jump in popularity.

Means "immaculate, undefiled" in Old Persian, from the Old Iranian prefix *an- "not" combined with *āhita "unclean, dirty". This was the name of an Iranian goddess of fertility and water. In the Zoroastrian religious texts the Avesta she is called 𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬛𐬎𐬎𐬍 (Arəduuī) in Avestan, with 𐬀𐬥𐬁𐬵𐬌𐬙𐬀 (anāhita) appearing only as a descriptive epithet [1]. In origin she is possibly identical to the Indian goddess Saraswati. She has historically been identified with the Semitic goddess Ishtar and the Greek goddess Artemis.

Azerbaijani form of Amina 2.

Means "immortality" in Avestan. This was the name of a Zoroastrian goddess (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with plants and long life. She was often mentioned with Haurvatat.

Feminine form of Alan.

Combination of an a hanja, like 雅 meaning "clean, pure" or 亜 meaning "next, second," and a hyeon hanja, e.g. 賢 meaning "benevolent; wise, sensible."

From the Hebrew name אֲבִיגָיִל (ʾAviḡayil) meaning "my father is joy", derived from the roots אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and גִּיל (gil) meaning "joy". In the Old Testament this is the name of Nabal's wife. After Nabal's death she became the third wife of King David.

As an English name, Abigail first became common after the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular among the Puritans. The biblical Abigail refers to herself as a servant, and beginning in the 17th century the name became a slang term for a servant, especially after the release of the play The Scornful Lady (1616), which featured a character named Abigail. The name went out of fashion at that point, but it was revived in the 20th century.

Diminutive of Abigail.