Meaning and history
Abner comes from the Hebrew name אַבְנֵר (ʾAvner), meaning “my father is a light,” from אָב (ʾav) meaning “father” and נֵר (ner) meaning “lamp” or “light.” In the Old Testament, Abner was Saul’s cousin and army commander; after killing Asahel, he was later slain by Asahel’s brother Joab. Notable bearers include the 14th-century Jewish philosopher Abner of Burgos, later known as Alfonso of Valladolid after converting to Christianity. The name has been used as an English Christian given name since the Protestant Reformation and was popular among the Puritans, who brought it to America in the 17th century.
20062006: 156 births, rank #1,116
2007: 173 births, rank #1,073
2008: 149 births, rank #1,188
2009: 150 births, rank #1,202
2010: 162 births, rank #1,143
20112011: 166 births, rank #1,108
2012: 157 births, rank #1,161
2013: 195 births, rank #1,005
2014: 202 births, rank #1,012
2015: 199 births, rank #1,019
20162016: 201 births, rank #1,011
2017: 195 births, rank #1,029
2018: 203 births, rank #1,016
2019: 183 births, rank #1,091
2020: 219 births, rank #976
20212021: 215 births, rank #1,023
2022: 191 births, rank #1,113
2023: 221 births, rank #997
2024: 293 births, rank #838
20252025: 274 births, rank #874
Abner moved from #838 to #874 for boys between 2024 and 2025. Its highest annual birth count came in 2024, with 293 births.