Holding steady, #12,008 for boys today.
Popularity of Ab since 1880
Babies named Ab per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2007, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Ab's real moment was 1885.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 21 |
| 1890s | 0 |
| 1900s | 0 |
| 1910s | 20 |
| 1920s | 18 |
| 1930s | 0 |
| 1940s | 11 |
| 1950s | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 24 |
| 2000s | 244 |
| 2010s | 24 |
| 2020s | 18 |
Meaning & origin
Ab is a short, punchy name most commonly encountered as a diminutive of Abraham. U.S. Social Security data shows it first appeared on the male naming charts in 1880, reaching its peak rank of 12,008 in 1885. Since then, its usage has remained at very low, stable levels. In the most recent year tracked (2025), it was given to approximately 1 in 341,615 male births. Despite its rarity, Ab carries a straightforward, no-nonsense quality that fits well with other clipped vintage names. As a standalone name, it has never been common, but its brevity and clear pronunciation make it a plausible choice for those seeking a traditional, minimalist option with biblical roots.
Ab is typically a diminutive or short form of Abraham, a name of Hebrew origin. Abraham appears in the Hebrew Bible as the patriarch of the Israelites, and its meaning is often given as 'father of a multitude' (from Hebrew 'av' meaning 'father' and 'hamon' meaning 'multitude'), though this is a folk etymology and the exact original meaning is uncertain. Used independently, Ab has been recorded in the United States since the 1880s, primarily as a diminutive.
Nicknames & variants
Variants: Abe
Sibling names for Ab
Names that share Ab's style, for a brother or sister.
