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Origin, Meaning, And History Of Abner
Abner is a name of Hebrew and Dominican Republic origin. This well-known Biblical name appears in the New Testament and means “father of light.” The name was popular among the Puritans in the southern regions and early immigrants, particularly in New England.
In the 11th century, Abner was the name of the leader who led King Saul’s army. He was also the king’s first cousin. After King Saul’s death, Abner helped Ish-bosheth, Saul’s heir, become the king of Israel at Mahanaim. Meanwhile, King David ruled Hebron, a city in the southern Judea region. With Abner’s assistance, Ish-bosheth was able to rule over a larger area and population than King David for several years.
However, after years of being together, Abner and Ish-bosheth had a falling out over a dispute. After the disagreement, Abner moved to King David’s side but was soon assassinated by David’s commander, Joab.
Abner is a unisex name, but it is mostly given to boys. It may be pronounced in different ways such as AB-nər, AE-B-n-uh-r, AB-nuhr, ab-n-er, and ab-ner. Abbie, Abby, and Abe are a handful of nicknames for Abner, preferred by many. One popular variant of the name Abner is Avner, which also has the same meaning.
Along with being a given name, Abner is also a surname. It was moderately used as a name in the US. However, in the early 20th century, the name lost its popularity and was hardly used by the 1930s.
Abner is rarely used, but the fictional world has seen many prominent characters with this name. Abner Kravitz was the protagonist’s neighbor in the 1960s sitcom Bewitched. Other noteworthy characters are Abner Krill, famous as the Polka-Dot Man in DC Comics, and Abner Marsh, the protagonist of George R. R. Martin’s novel Fevre Dream.
How To Pronounce Abner?
Famous People With The Name Abner
- Abner BibermanAmerican actor and director, known for his work in Winchester ’73 and His Girl Friday
- Abner Frank DalrympleAmerican left fielder in Major League Baseball, hit 43 home runs
- Abner SilbermanAmerican songwriter also known by his pen name Abner Silver, worked primarily during the Tin Pan Alley era
- Abner WimberlyAmerican football player, played three seasons for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League
- Abner Wingate JayAmerican multi-instrumentalist, one-man band known for performing eccentric, blues-infused folk music
Abner On The Popularity Chart
Abner has witnessed popularity in the recent past. Check out the two graphs by the Social Security Administration to know more about the name’s ranking and popularity.
Popularity Over Time
After experiencing fluctuations in the beginning, Abner’s popularity peaked in 2020 with 219 babies per million sharing the name. See the graph below for details.
Source: Social Security AdministrationRank Over Time
Abner had a reasonably good ranking in the 1980s. However, it declined significantly in the years ahead. After 2008, although the ranking improved a little, it couldn’t gain the previous position. The graph below shows the trend.
Source: Social Security AdministrationNames With Similar Sound As Abner
Abner is a pleasant-sounding name. If you like such names, here are more options that might resonate with your choice.
Names With Similar Meaning As Abner
If you are searching for a Biblical name with a similar meaning to Abner, check the list below.
Name Numerology For Abner
