Abby
Say it: AB-ee/ˈæb.i/
GirlMeans a pet form of Abigail, usually explained as "my father's joy"4 letters2 syllables
#443
in Ireland (2025)
#435 with spellings combined
8
babies in 2025
#55
best rank (2004)
1,165
babies since 1990
Down 231
10-year rank change
Abby through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | #435 |
| 2024 | 8 | #433 |
| 2023 | 13 | #295 |
| 2022 | 20 | #222 |
| 2021 | 10 | #389 |
| 2020 | 12 | #335 |
| 2019 | 16 | #284 |
| 2018 | 19 | #245 |
| 2017 | 20 | #241 |
| 2016 | 20 | #236 |
| 2015 | 26 | #204 |
| 2014 | 28 | #189 |
| 2013 | 36 | #165 |
| 2012 | 47 | #129 |
| 2011 | 39 | #157 |
| 2010 | 57 | #118 |
| 2009 | 59 | #111 |
| 2008 | 74 | #91 |
| 2007 | 85 | #75 |
| 2006 | 61 | #93 |
| 2005 | 79 | #71 |
| 2004 | 103 | #55 |
| 2003 | 88 | #60 |
| 2002 | 79 | #65 |
| 2001 | 70 | #77 |
| 2000 | 28 | #143 |
| 1999 | 17 | #206 |
| 1998 | 8 | #293 |
| 1997 | 11 | #294 |
| 1996 | 9 | #316 |
| 1995 | 7 | #352 |
| 1994 | 4 | #450 |
| 1990 | 4 | #446 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Abby mean?
A pet form of Abigail, usually explained as "my father's joy"
English, a short form of Abigail, from Hebrew.
Say it right
ABee
The story of Abby
Abby is a short form of Abigail, and has long been used as a full name too. Abigail is a Hebrew name, usually explained as “my father’s joy”. In the Bible Abigail is a wise woman who later becomes a wife of King David. Less often Abby has been a nickname for Albert.
Abby is one of several spellings of the same sound, along with Abbie, Abbey and Abi. The CSO counts each spelling separately, so the full number of girls called something that sounds like Abby is higher than the figures for this spelling alone.
In Ireland Abby first appears in the CSO records in 1990. It rose fast, and its best year was 2004, with 103 girls, at number 55 in 2004. Northern Ireland followed the same pattern, reaching number 62 in 2003. In 2025, 8 girls were named Abby.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Abby (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Abby
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Abby | 8 | 1,165 |
In Northern Ireland
#397 in 2025 with 3 babies. Best rank #62 (2003); 268 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.