A lady's maid.
"Abigail hurried to finish dressing the mistress before the royal carriage arrived."
The wife of Nabal and later of David in the Old Testament.
"Abigail's wise intervention prevented a blood feud between her husband Nabal and King David, securing her place as his second wife in biblical history."
The name comes from the character Abigail, a waiting-maid in Beaumont and Fletcher's play The Scornful Lady. It was adopted into English usage specifically because of this literary role.