Cecilia vs Abigail
How Cecilia and Abigail compare across 146 years of US Social Security Administration baby-name records — popularity history, peak years, current rank, and which name overtook which.
Abigail
Female · Hebrew
Meaning: "Father Rejoices."Some Variants Include Abagail, Abaigeal, Abbey, Abbie, And Abby. Diminutive, Gail, Also Exists.
US Popularity History — Side-by-Side
Annual US births named Cecilia (girls) vs Abigail (girls), from US Social Security Administration national records.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Names appearing fewer than 5 times per year are suppressed by SSA.
Quick Stats
| Metric | Cecilia | Abigail |
|---|---|---|
| Peak year (most US births) | 2025 — 2,506 girls | 2003 — 15,932 girls |
| Peak rank | #108 | #6 |
| Most recent rank (2025) | #108 (2,506 births) | #41 (4,941 births) |
| Total US births since 1880 | 40,894 | 383,135 |
| Last 10 years (2016–2025) | 20,073 | 78,822 |
Peak comparison takeaway
At its all-time peak, Abigail reached 15,932 US births in 2003 — 13,426 more than Cecilia's peak count.
Strongest States — Last 10 Years
States where each name ranked highest, from SSA's state-level dataset. Lower average rank = name appears closer to the top of that state's girls-name list.
Cecilia — top 5 states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | #70 | 32 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | #71 | 105 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | #80 | 667 |
| 4 | Minnesota | #89 | 511 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | #91 | 970 |
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Data & methodology
Source: US Social Security Administration national baby names dataset 1880–2025 (CC0 public domain). Names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a given year are suppressed by SSA. State-level coverage runs 1910–2025. Crossover detection compares annual birth counts (not ranks) for each year both names appear. Methodology: see full notes. More comparisons →