Abigail vs Precious
Abigail and Preciouscompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2008, Abigail was ranked #31 and Precious #439 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #102 and Precious #638 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Abigail was ranked #115 and Precious #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #154 and Precious #1262 among girls in England and Wales.
Abigail and Precious over time
Abigail and Precious appear together in 2 published lists, across 50 years of shared records. Abigail held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Precious in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Abigail held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Precious in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #19 in 2000, Precious #397 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abigail #154, Precious #1262.
Republic of Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1999–2025
Abigail held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Precious in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #36 in 2008, Precious #182 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abigail #115, Precious #885.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Abigail | Precious |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #55 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Abigail has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Precious.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Abigail
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #303 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #55 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Precious
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #869 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1999–2025
Highest recorded position: #182 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2002 (recorded 1999–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls