It is of Biblical Hebrew origin, and its popularity derives from Obadiah, a prophet in the Hebrew Bible and in the religious traditions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
Obadiah (Hebrew: עֹבַדְיָה – ʿŌḇaḏyā or עֹבַדְיָהוּ – ʿŌḇaḏyāhū; "servant of Yah") is a biblical theophorical name, meaning "servant or slave of Yahweh" or "worshiper of Yahweh.
In Latin it is translated as Abdias while in Arabic it is either ʿAbdullah (عبد الله), Ubaydah (عبيده), or Ubaidullah (عبیدالله) "Slave of God".
The Bishops' Bible refers to the prophet with this name as Abdi.
The name is related to "Abdeel", "servant of God",[citation needed] which is also cognate to the Arabic name "Abdullah" or "Obaidullah".