Girl's name

Abaigeal

“AB-i-gal”

from Hebrew, 'father of joy' or 'joyfulness'

Abigail

Source: Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923) ↗

The story behind the name

The Irish Abigail, after the wife of King David, whom Woulfe describes as noted for her prudence and her beauty. He found it in use in Derry and in Omeath.

Quick answers

How do you pronounce Abaigeal?

Abaigeal is pronounced “AB-i-gal”. Irish has three main dialect groups (Ulster, Connacht and Munster) and many names are said differently in each. The respellings here give the pronunciation most commonly heard in Irish English; where a well-known variant exists, both are shown.

What does the name Abaigeal mean?

Abaigeal means from Hebrew, 'father of joy' or 'joyfulness'.

Is Abaigeal a boy's or a girl's name?

Abaigeal is traditionally a girl's name in Ireland.

How else is Abaigeal spelled?

Other spellings and equivalents include Abigail. Irish names were written down by English-speaking clerks for centuries, which is why so many spellings survive for one name.

Related names

Abaigh

Meanings follow Ó Corráin & Maguire's Irish Names and Woulfe; pronunciations give the commonest Irish-English form. Know this name better — a dialect pronunciation, a family tradition? Tell us. · All Irish names A–Z