Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful face: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
"Nabal" means "obstinate fool,"[6] and Abigail means, "the joy of her father."[7]  It seems most unlikely that any parent would have named a son "Nabal," and the name may therefore be explained as an epithet assigned to him by his contemporaries who so judged his character.