Abner

Etymology

Abner comes from the Hebrew personal name Avner, built from av meaning “father” and ner meaning “lamp” or “light.” Older writers sometimes explained it as “the lamp” or “son of the father,” but the most common modern reading is “father of light” or “my father is a light.” As a surname, it belongs to the broad class of names taken from given names, especially biblical ones.

History

Abner is best known in the Bible as Saul’s commander, which helped the name survive in Christian naming traditions. In English-speaking countries it later appeared as both a given name and a surname, usually among families descended from or named after biblical first names. It remains uncommon as a surname in the United States.

Origin

Regions

Variant spellings

Fun fact

The biblical Abner was a military leader, so the name has long carried an air of strength and authority.