Find out how popular the last name Ab is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ab.

Ab, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ab surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ab in America

Ab is the 100791st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ab surname appeared 179 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ab.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ab to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ab

The surname "AB" has its origins in Scandinavia, specifically in Sweden and Norway. It is believed to have emerged during the Viking era, around the 8th to 11th centuries AD. The name is thought to have derived from the Old Norse word "ab," meaning "river mouth" or "estuary."

In the early medieval period, many Scandinavian settlements were established along the coasts and near river mouths, which were important locations for trade and fishing. It is likely that the surname "AB" was initially adopted by individuals or families residing near such sites.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "AB" can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, which are historical narratives dating back to the 13th century. The Saga of Erik the Red, for instance, mentions an individual named Thorvald Ab, who was part of an expedition to Vinland (modern-day North America) in the early 11th century.

In Sweden, the surname "AB" is believed to have originated in the coastal regions of Götaland and Svealand. It is documented in various medieval records, such as the Älvsborgs lösen, a tax register from the early 16th century, which lists several individuals with the surname "AB" residing in the Bohuslän region.

One notable bearer of the name "AB" was Nils Abrahamssson Ab, a Swedish merchant and shipowner who lived from 1589 to 1655. He was a prominent figure in the Swedish East India Company and played a significant role in the country's maritime trade.

Another historical figure with the surname "AB" was Anders Larsson Ab, a Swedish military officer and nobleman who lived from 1620 to 1688. He served as a colonel in the Swedish army during the latter stages of the Thirty Years' War and was granted nobility in 1668.

In Norway, the surname "AB" is believed to have originated in the coastal regions of Vestlandet and Trøndelag. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Tord Ab, a Norwegian nobleman who lived in the 13th century and is mentioned in the Icelandic Annals.

During the medieval and early modern periods, the surname "AB" was also found in other parts of Scandinavia, such as Denmark and Finland, where it was likely adopted by individuals or families with ties to coastal or riverine settlements.

It is worth noting that the spelling of the surname "AB" has remained relatively consistent over time, although variations such as "Abb" or "Aab" have also been documented in historical records.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ab

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ab.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ab was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ab has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ab was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ab, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!