Abigail - what does it say to you?

[pinkystoo]

Abigail? Is it nice? Or staid and dated?

[KittyBigglesworth]

Agree Abbigayle looks incongruous. There is too much going on and its looks as though it should just be Gayle.

Abigale or Abigayil/Avigayil - the original spellings, may appeal as different representations of the name.

I don't really like all the Abbi abbreviations, prefer Gail as an abbreviation or name in its own right.

Agree with the delphinedownunder about there being a headstrong, musing characteristic to it. Gail Trimble, the Oxford Latin scholar, whose team won (or not!) University Challenge comes to mind. Not sure if her name is actually Abigail or Gail. She certainly divided opinion, the tabloids ranted and broadsheets sprang to her defence.

[LiquoriceLila]

Really really popular name but im not a fan tbh. Also the spelling Abbiegayle is horrible.

[ZZZenAgain]

not a name that grabs me but I know two little girls of that name, both get shortened to Abbey.

Prefer Gail although not wild about that either

[KAEKAE]

It seems all the men love this name! My DH also suggested this name a good few times when I was pregnant with my DD. I like it but don't love it, not keen on Abi or Gail.

[ReshapeWhileDamp]

High-maintenance, for some reason! I have no idea where I got that idea from.

It's a nice name, but also makes me think of the NOT-nice 'Abishag' from the same biblical era!

[delphinedownunder]

Strong and clever. Thick black hair. Well-educated.

[Bairyheaver]

I really like it, very pretty. It's my dd's mn, I ruled it out as a first name because I don't much care for abi/abby etc

[BelligerentGhoul]

It's nice enough. I wouldn't have thought of maids until reading The Help tbh.

Abbiegayle is appalling.

[meandjoe]

Sorry, bit of a ramble there from me there! Errrm yes Abigail is OK, Abbiegayle is faaaaar tooooooo much for a child to have to spell, it just looks clumsy.

[meandjoe]

It's my name, hated it when I was younger but it was very very uncommon in early 80s so I felt like it stood out too much. Then it got really popular and I started to get complimented on my name . Now it's not too popular but is still known and not unheard of so considered classic. I do like it but I shorten it to Abby and have always been known as that.

[seaturtle]

I like Abigail but not Abbiegayle. Like the meaning of the name ("father;s joy"). I associate it with Christian families, as most of the little Abigails I know are from Christian families.

[stressheaderic]

I like it a lot, and love the meaning.

I teach probably about 20 odd Abigails this year in secondary, but I don't think it's as popular now as it was 10 years ago (which is no bad thing).

Abbiegayle is terrible, btw.

[sedgiebaby]

I agree with Dummyhunter comments, its probably quite timeless like many bible names. As good for a little girl as for a grown up woman.

[lurcherlover]

It's one of my two choices for our impending dc (don't know the sex though). I'm currently trying to decide between Abigail and Alice! Never got past the letter A for a girl!

[AbFabT]

Wow, thanks for that, KittyBigglesworth! :)

[KittyBigglesworth]

From what I can understand there are a few reasons why the name may have been associated with a maid. All wives would have been maids to their husbands in biblical times and a gentlewoman in the Elizabethan era would have been a confidante and strong willed friend of the lady of the household, keeping her suitors at bay, requiring wit and diplomacy to maintain her position.

The name's first association with a maid was originally due to the biblical Abigail's lack of conceit in talking to her servants and her belief in what they told her. Abigail/ Abigayil learned that her wealthy husband Nabal was deceitful, disassociated herself from his rudeness and had faith that David, an outlaw at the time, would rise to be King David. By being on good terms with the masses, the servants, she was able to gather enough provisions to provide David and his followers with strength.

Said to have one of the longest female speeches in the Bible, she implemented a change to the fortune of the Israelites and through her powers of diplomacy and persuasion led David to reverse his oath of revenge. Known for her wisdom and intelligence, it is said that ?When Abigail saw David, she fell at his feet, and said ?hear the words of thine handmaid?" Persuasion was not going to be an easy task without some flattery.

David tells her "May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands? If you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak." Had she not been on good terms with her servants she would not have won David, nor possibly could she have left Nabal. You wouldn't know that I attended a catholic primary school, would you.

In Beaumont & Fletcher's 'A Scornful Lady' (1616), Abigail or 'Abigal - a waiting gentlewoman' as she is described in the cast list, is used as a term for a maid as a consquence of the biblical reference. She's first introduced as 'Mistres - Younglove' and continues to have a considerable and feisty role in the comedy asserting herself against various men. The name Andrew was, apparently, the equivalent for male servants at the time. Bible obsessed, the Puritans.

Lastly, a reversal of fortune and an aristocratic connection may have made the name popular as among differnt classes. In 1670, a relation of the Churchill family was given the name Abigail. Her London merchant father, lost out on a specultive deal early in her life, putting the family reputation at stake.

Baroness Abigail Masham, as she was later known, was born a cousin of Sarah Churchill, later Duchess of Marlborough. Lady Churchill, as she was known before being a duchess, was herself Lady of the Bedchamber to Princess Anne and invited her cousin within her own household, possibly to shield the family's reputation. By 1704, she was a close confidante of Queen Anne.

Personalities clashed as Queen Anne was said to favour Abigail over Sarah Churchill, made evident by her attendance of her marriage to Samuel Masham. Sarah Churchill was a Whig and Queen Anne was a Tory making the situation strained and now political. The queen instructed Marlborough to give command to Colonel Hill (Abigail's brother) and the Whigs were overlooked to give way to Abigail's cousin, Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford. She died as Lady Masham in 1734 having yielded considerable influence upon the Queen.

Some sources say that it may also mean 'fountain of joy'. My history tutor had this name and I've always liked it.

[ValiumSingleton]

I quite like it but I wouldn't choose it. I hear the BIG in the middle too loudly.

I like Gail actually.

[AbFabT]

Fab!

AbiAbi likes it so much she uses it twice! :)

I am also an Abigail/Abi/Abs - love my name. Didn't get any of AbiAbi's nicknames at school though, except Abbey National.

kalo, do you know me - I've always had superfine hair!

[emptyshell]

It's one I like but we've already got an Abbi in the family so can't really go for it.

[AbiAbi]

I'm called Abigail

I love my name, as much as you can love a name - you can use the full version for more formal stuff, and all my friends call me Abi/Abs.

The nicknames at school were a tad annoying - Abbey National, Shabby Abi, Scabby Abi, Flabby Abi etc (and I was one of the popular ones!) but overall I've never had a problem with my name!

[morganbuffay]

The Crucible. In my head it's sort of a Puritan name, so I imagine bonnets and plain grey dresses with aprons. Abby however I just find a bland nickname very common for girls and younger women. So, I suppose in general I see it as a 'practical' name. Especially since I read that it was used as the generic word for a servant, as RealEyes mentioned. I would like the name more if it wasn't shortened. The meaning is very nice!

[knickers0nmyhead]

I love it, my bf little girl is called it but her and her dh spell it Abbiegayle.

[Marjoriew]

I have an Abigail - Abi for short. She's now 34 and it still suits here - just about to finish her nursing degree.

[Dummyhunter]

Piccalilli2 I agree our Abigail is anything but wet and mousey. If anything she is very confident and knows exactly what she wants and how to get it! Also when she was born we have never had an 'ohhh' moment when telling people her name,