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Home › Baby Names Directory › Avigail

Avigail

♀ Girl

Pronounced a-vee-ga-EEL /a.vi.ɡa.ˈil/Medium

Meaning: my father's joyMedium

In 30 seconds: Avigail is the Hebrew form of Abigail, meaning 'my father's joy.'
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Origin MediumHebrew
Meaningmy father's joy
U.S. rank (2025)#2122 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births88 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2016
Total births (all-time)≈ 2,216

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201619682025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Avigail comes from Hebrew and means 'my father's joy.' It is the original-language form behind the widely used Abigail, with the transliteration 'Avigayil staying close to the Hebrew sound. French Abigaïl and Greek Abigaia show how the name traveled and reshaped itself in other tongues.

Where Abigail feels familiar, Avigail keeps a more distinctly Hebrew character. The short form Abbey offers an easy everyday nickname for any of these spellings.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Avigail is 'my father is joy', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Avigail — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSVEtymology — Avigail — meaning/etymology

Variations

AbigailAbigaïlAbigaia'AvigayilAbbey

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Avigail Kovari (1987-)
    Israeli singer and actress who won Best Actress at the 2018 Jerusalem Film Festival
  • ★Avigail Harari
    Israeli film and television actress
  • ★Avigail Alfatov
    Israeli fencing champion, model and beauty pageant titleholder
  • ★Avigail Sperber (1973-)
    Israeli cinematographer and film director

If you like Avigail…

Abigail— The common English form of the same Hebrew name, identical in meaning.
Ariela— a fellow Hebrew choice
Amariah— the same biblical feel
Adalia— a fellow Hebrew choice
Analeah— lands in the same popularity range

Explore names like Avigail

By themehebrewbiblical
By meaningJoy

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Avigail mean?

Avigail is usually explained as meaning 'my father is joy' and is most often linked with Hebrew tradition.

How do you pronounce Avigail?

It's commonly said a-vee-ga-EEL /a.vi.ɡa.ˈil/.

Is Avigail a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Avigail is used as a girl name.

How popular is Avigail?

In 2024, Avigail ranked #2504 in the U.S. for girls, with 71 births recorded.

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