2000
#6,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,795
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.78
Rare Last name
Abad
A Spanish surname derived from the Arabic word "abad," meaning "one who devotes himself to the service of God."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,664 Americans carry the last name Abad. That puts it at #5,085 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 44,723 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Abad surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Abad with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.7K
1 in 44,723
Census rank
#5,085
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,683 bearers of the surname Abad in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5085th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Abad, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 52.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (35.5%) and White (7.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Abad
The surname Abad originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Arabic word "abad," which means "servant" or "worshipper" of God. This surname was commonly used by Moors and Sephardic Jews who converted to Christianity during the Reconquista.
The earliest recorded instances of the Abad surname can be found in documents from the 12th and 13th centuries in regions like Aragon, Valencia, and Catalonia. These areas were under Moorish rule for several centuries before being reconquered by Christian kingdoms.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the Abad surname was Rabbi Meir Abad, a prominent Jewish philosopher and theologian who lived in Toledo, Spain, during the 12th century. He was known for his work on the reconciliation of Jewish and Aristotelian thought.
In the 14th century, the Abad surname appears in the Libro de Repartimiento de Mallorca, a document that recorded the distribution of land and property on the island of Mallorca after its reconquest from the Moors in 1229.
During the 15th century, Juan Abad was a renowned Spanish poet and writer who served as a secretary to the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. He is best known for his work Crónica de los Reyes Católicos.
In the 16th century, Diego Abad de Santillán was a notable Spanish historian and writer. He authored several works, including the Historia del Gran Capitán, a biography of the famous Spanish military commander Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba.
Another notable figure with the Abad surname was Pedro Abad y Lleixa, a Spanish painter and engraver who lived in the 17th century. He is known for his religious and historical works, many of which can be found in churches and museums across Spain.
Throughout history, the Abad surname has been associated with various professions, including religious figures, writers, artists, and scholars. While its origins can be traced back to the Moorish and Sephardic Jewish communities in medieval Spain, the surname has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Abad
Among Census respondents with the surname Abad, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 52.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (35.5%) and White (7.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Abad bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Abad surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino52.9% · 3,532
- Asian and Pacific Islander35.5% · 2,374
- White7.3% · 489
- Two or more races3.3% · 223
- Black or African American0.8% · 54
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Abad
Abad appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,401
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,446
+1,651 bearers (+34.4%)
Per 100,000 2.19
Rank movement Up 1,122 places
2020
#5,085
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,683
+237 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 2.24
Rank movement Up 316 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,523 | 4,795 | 1.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,401 | 6,446 | 2.19 | +1,651 bearers (+34.4%) | Up 1,122 places |
| 2020 | #5,085 | 6,683 | 2.24 | +237 bearers (+3.7%) | Up 316 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Abad surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,401 | #5,085 | 5.9% |
| Count | 6,446 | 6,683 | 3.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.19 | 2.24 | 2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Abad bearers went from 6,446 to 6,683 (+3.7% change). The surname moved up 316 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,401 to #5,085.
FAQ
Abad surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Abad?
Name Census estimates that about 7,664 living Americans carry the surname Abad. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 44,723 residents.
How common is Abad?
Abad ranks #5,085 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,683 people with the surname Abad. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,664), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Abad.
Has Abad become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Abad went from 6,446 recorded bearers to 6,683. That is an increase of 237 (+3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,401 to #5,085.
What does the Census say about the background of Abad?
Among Census respondents with the surname Abad, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 52.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (35.5%) and White (7.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Abad in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.9% (3,532 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Abad appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (52.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (35.5%), White (7.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Abad (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Abad mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Arabic word "abad," meaning "one who devotes himself to the service of God." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Abad (2.24 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Abad?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.