Avigail is a unique and distinctive name of Hebrew origin. It is derived from the Hebrew word "Avigayil," which means "my father is joy." The name Avigail has its roots in biblical history, as it is the name of one of King David's wives in the Old Testament.
In the Bible, Avigail was a wise and resourceful woman who played a significant role in helping King David escape from his enemies. She was married to Nabal, a wealthy but foolish man who refused to provide provisions for David's soldiers, even though they had protected his flock. When Nabal rejected David's request, Avigail intervened and persuaded her husband to change his mind by offering generous gifts to David. However, when Nabal continued to refuse, Avigliail took matters into her own hands and visited David personally to apologize for her husband's actions and offer him provisions.
Avigliail's courage and intelligence impressed David greatly, and he eventually married her after Nabal's death. Her story serves as an example of how a woman can use her wisdom and resourcefulness to overcome adversity and achieve greatness.
Today, Avigail is still a popular name among Jewish families, but it has also gained recognition among other communities who appreciate its unique sound and meaningful origin. It is often shortened to the nickname "Avi" or "Gail," but it can stand on its own as a beautiful and distinctive name. Overall, Avigliail is a name that embodies joy, wisdom, and resourcefulness, making it a perfect choice for parents looking for a name with deep historical roots and meaningful significance.
The name Avigail has seen a significant increase in popularity over the past few decades in the United States. With only five recorded births in 1968, it was quite uncommon during that time period. However, starting from the early 1980s, there was a gradual rise in its usage, with eight births in 1983 and twelve in 1986.
The turning point came in the mid-1990s when Avigail began to gain substantial traction among parents-to-be. From twenty-two births in 1991, it more than doubled to thirty births in 1994. This upward trend continued throughout the late '90s and early 2000s, with peaks reaching forty-eight births in 2000 and fifty-six in 2005.
The popularity of Avigail surged even further from 2006 onwards. In just two years, the number of births rose significantly from sixty-nine in 2006 to seventy-nine in 2007. This momentum carried forward into the next decade, with record-breaking highs such as one-hundred births in 2015 and one-fifteen in 2016.
Despite a slight dip in recent years (with eighty-three births in 2018), Avigail's popularity remains robust. As of 2022, seventy-one births were recorded. Overall, from 1968 to 2022, there have been a total of two thousand fifty-six babies named Avigail born in the United States.
These statistics demonstrate a consistent and marked increase in the prevalence of the name Avigail over time, reflecting its growing appeal among parents as they welcome their new arrivals.