Abner

Abner - A very unique male name

Abner appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #440. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Abner and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Abner? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Abner. The baby boy name Abner was given to 222 baby boys in 2025, ranking #886 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 6,605 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Abner peaked in popularity 116 years ago in 1910 on position 440.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Abner, 1-5?

Abner is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Abner is currently topping the baby name charts in Georgia at position #566 - and is the least popular in New York at position #1,300.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Abner is where you live.

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Abner origin and meaning

Hebrew

From Hebrew Avner, 'father is light' (or 'father of light')

Abner is the anglicised form of the Hebrew Avner, borne in the Bible by the commander of Saul's army and a major figure in the books of Samuel. It was a steady if uncommon American name through the 1900s, thinned out, and is now rising again — its 2024 peak is its highest point in the data. The hillbilly-comic association of Li'l Abner has largely faded.

Attested etymology

Abner is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Abner, pop culture references for the name Abner and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Abner

We've found the following names that sound similar to Abner, sorted by popularity.

Avenir / Avner / Avyaanreddy /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Abner

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Abner a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Abner?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

AB-ner · /ˈæbnər/

Around the world

• Avner (Hebrew) — The Hebrew form of the same name

Spellings and nicknames

• Avner — The Hebrew form — a separate name in the data

Nicknames: Ab

Famous bearers

• Abner — Commander of King Saul's army in the biblical books of Samuel (Biblical) Historical
• Abner Doubleday — Union general long credited, in a now-disputed story, with inventing baseball (1819–1893) Historical

Style

BiblicalVintage revival

Why parents choose it

It suits the current taste for clunky-cool biblical names — serious, old, and still genuinely uncommon.

Worth knowing

• Older relatives may still hear the Li'l Abner comic strip in it.