Abby
Meaningfather's joy · English form of Abigail
- US rank
- #731
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #163 in 2001
379 babies were named Abby in the US in 2025. It has dropped 222 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1880–2025
US births per million boys, 1924–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Abby you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Abby
Abby Wambach
American soccer player (born 1980)
Choose Abby and your child shares a first name with Abby Wambach, an American soccer player. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Abby, like who?” Abby Wambach's Wikipedia article is available in 45 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Abby Wambach on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: White House, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 4,241 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Abby, 379 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Abby would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryAbby has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Abbys, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 2001, when it ranked #163. Today it's #731, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowAbby was 3.7× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 1,160 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 4,241.
- TrendAbby has slipped 222 places over the last five years and now sits at #731. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedAbby is most popular in Iowa, where it ranks #390, followed by Connecticut (#393) and Kentucky (#405). It's in the top 1,000 in 23 states.
- MeaningAbby is an English form of Abigail, which means “father's joy”.
About the name Abby
Abby is a girl name of English origin meaning “father's joy”. It has 4 letters and 2 syllables, starting with A and ending in “-bby”. US birth records list Abby for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 140 of those 146 years. Its best year was 2001, when it ranked #163 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #731, with 379 babies.
Origin:English names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 51 | 19,759 girls |
| 1890s | 27 | 37,327 girls |
| 1900s | 17 | 58,072 girls |
| 1910s | 15 | 66,934 girls |
| 1920s | 15 | 67,431 girls |
| 1930s | 19 | 53,333 girls |
| 1940s | 31 | 32,765 girls |
| 1950s | 60 | 16,753 girls |
| 1960s | 112 | 8,916 girls |
| 1970s | 203 | 4,928 girls |
| 1980s | 692 | 1,444 girls |
| 1990s | 773 | 1,293 girls |
| 2000s | 934 | 1,071 girls |
| 2010s | 481 | 2,077 girls |
| 2020s | 304 | 3,285 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 1.5 | 674,157 boys |
| 1940s | 1.1 | 900,901 boys |
| 1950s | 0.5 | 1,886,792 boys |
| 1960s | 0.3 | 3,571,429 boys |
| 1970s | 0.6 | 1,666,667 boys |
| 1980s | 3.1 | 325,733 boys |
| 1990s | 1.4 | 735,294 boys |
| 2000s | 2.2 | 456,621 boys |
More English girl names
- Girl name: Olivia · olive tree
- Girl name: Charlotte · free
- Unisex name: Harper · harp player
- Girl name: Elizabeth · God is my oath
- Girl name: Lily · lily flower
- Girl name: Lucy · light
- Girl name: Lainey · possibly light
- Girl name: Scarlett · scarlet red
Questions about the name Abby
What does the name Abby mean?
Abby means “father's joy” in English, as a form of Abigail.
What is the origin of the name Abby?
Abby has English roots in our records. Other English names include Olivia, Charlotte, Harper.
Is Abby a boy or girl name?
Abby is a girl name.
How popular is the name Abby?
Abby ranked #731 for US girls in 2025, given to 379 babies. Its best year was 2001 (#163).