Abby

Short form of Abigail from the Hebrew name, Avigayil. Used for boys, but more commonly given to girls as an independent name. Faded from the popularity chart in the late 19th century, but returned in 1952. Bearing a variation of the name, Abbie Burgess was a famous lighthouse keeper known for her bravery in tending the Matinicus Rock Light in Maine during a 1856 winter storm. Inspired starting in the 1950s by advice columnist "Dear Abby" formerly written by Pauline Esther Friedman Phillips and currently written by her daughter, Jeanne Phillips. The name peaked in 2001 and 2003 at No. 163.