Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

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; 1572 Abigail ibid. Goe; 1573 Abigail ibid. Tijneteyn; 1574 Abigail ibid. Tuinus; 1575 Abigail ibid. p. 83; 1576 Abigail ibid. Jacobs; 1577 Abigail ibid. Langhele; 1578 Abigail ibid. Spiere; 1579 Abigail ibid. Eduwardts; 1580 Abigail ibid. Selot; 1581 Abigail ibid. Stevens; 1582 Abigail ibid. Puth; 1583 Abigail ibid. Molen; 1585 Abigail ibid. Bataille; 1587 Abigail ibid. Velde; 1588 Abigail ibid. Eeckhoff; 1589 Abigail ibid. Boone; 1590 Abigail ibid. Nuels; 1591 Abigail ibid. Eeckhoff; 1592 Abigail ibid. Bick; 1593 Abigail ibid. Boneval; 1594 Abigail ibid. Bick; 1595 Abigail ibid. Adriaensz; 1596 Abigail ibid. p. 83; 1597 Abigail ibid. Dainart; 1598 Abigail ibid. Kinderen
Early Modern English
1567 Abigall StAnthonlin p. 19; 1570 Abigall ibid. p. 21; 1580 Abigall ibid. p. 27; 1589 Abigaell RegBath p. 8
Walloon
1581 Abigail RWC p. 3; 1593 Abigay ibid. p. 29
France
Middle French
1563 Abigail RegPCC-1 p. 30; 1564 Abigay ibid. p. 95
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 2023, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2023/1/name/Abigail.