In Hebrew, name Abner means – Father is light, or father of light. The Old Testament Abner was Sauls cousin and army commander, a clever strategist. Abner became fashionable after the Reformation. Lil Abner, was the hero of a comic strip by cartoonist Al Capp… Other origins for name Abner include – Hebrew, Israeli. Name Abner is most often used as a boy name or male name.