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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources
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Abigail f. Hebrew אֲבִיגַיִל 'her father's joy'.

The name of a Biblical wife of King David. Wycliffite Bible (1395): Abigail. Geneva Bible (1560): Abigáil.

The name was popular in the 16th C amongst Dutch, English, and French Protestants.

England
Dutch
● 1571 Abigail AuFr sBells; 1579 Abigail ibid. Eduwardts; 1585 Abigail ibid. Bataille; 1588 Abigail ibid. Eeckhoff; 1589 Abigail ibid. Boone; 1591 Abigail ibid. Eeckhoff; 1592 Abigail ibid. Bick; 1593 Abigail ibid. Boneval; 1594 Abigail ibid. Bick; 1595 Abigail ibid. Adriaensz; 1597 Abigail ibid. Dainart
Early Modern English
● 1567 Abigall StAnthonlin p. 19; 1570 Abigall ibid. p. 21; 1580 Abigall ibid. p. 27
Walloon
● 1581 Abigail RWC p. 3
France
Middle French
● 1563 Abigail RegPCC-1 p. 30
Cite as: G. Grim, R. Le Get, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Abigail". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2018, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2018/1/name/Abigail.