The Girl - Name Meaning
AbigailGender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Biblical
Pronounced: AB-i-gayl (English), AH-bee-giel (German)
From the Hebrew name אֲבִיגָיִל ('Avigayil) meaning "my father is joy". In the Old Testament this was the name of Nabal's wife. After Nabal's death she became the third wife of King David.
As an English name, Abigail first became common after the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular among the Puritans. Some time after the release of the play 'The Scornful Lady' (1616), which featured a character named Abigail, the name became a slang term for a servant, and it grew less common. It was revived in the 20th century.
Elizabeth
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: i-LIZ-?-b?th (English)
From Elisabet, the Greek form of the Hebrew name Elisheva, meaning "my God is an oath" or perhaps "my God is abundance". The Hebrew form appears in the Old Testament where Elisheba is the wife of Aaron, while the Greek form appears in the New Testament where Elizabeth is the mother of John the Baptist.
Among Christians, this name was originally more common in Eastern Europe. It was borne in the 12th century by Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, a daughter of King Andrew II who became a Franciscan nun and lived in poverty. In medieval England it was occasionally used in honour of the saint, though the form Isabel (from Provençal and Spanish) was more common. It has been very popular in England since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century. Famous modern bearers include the British queen Elizabeth II (1926-) and actress Elizabeth Taylor (1932-).