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

Abbe, 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 Abbe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Abbe in America

Abbe is the 19697th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Abbe surname appeared 1,368 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 Abbe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Abbe 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 Abbe

The surname Abbe is derived from the Old French word "abbe" which means "abbot." The name has its origins in medieval France, particularly in the northern regions, where it was initially used as an occupational name for someone who served as an abbot or had some association with a monastery or abbey.

During the Middle Ages, abbeys and monasteries were influential centers of learning, religion, and power. Many individuals took on surnames related to their occupation or association with these institutions. The surname Abbe likely emerged during this period, initially identifying individuals who held the position of abbot or had a close connection to an abbey.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Abbe can be found in the 13th century in the Rotuli Hundredorum, a collection of records from the reign of King Edward I of England. This document mentions individuals with the surname Abbe residing in various counties of England, suggesting that the name had already spread beyond its French origins.

In the 14th century, the surname Abbe appeared in several historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, where a person named William Abbe was mentioned. This indicates that the name was well-established in England by this time.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Abbe throughout history include:

1. Robert Abbe (1851-1928), an American surgeon known for his contributions to the field of plastic surgery and the treatment of deformities.
2. Cleveland Abbe (1838-1916), an American meteorologist who helped establish the National Weather Service in the United States.
3. Ernst Abbe (1840-1905), a German physicist and optical engineer who made significant contributions to the development of microscopes and optics.
4. Alphonse Abbe (1836-1914), a French archaeologist and Assyriologist known for his work on cuneiform inscriptions and Babylonian history.
5. Pierre Abbe (1606-1690), a French Jesuit missionary who traveled to Canada and worked among the Huron and Iroquois tribes.

The surname Abbe has also been associated with various place names, particularly in France and England. For example, the village of Abbeville in northern France is believed to have derived its name from an abbey that existed there. Similarly, the town of Abberbury in Shropshire, England, is thought to have originated from a combination of the Old English word "abbe" and the word "bury," meaning a fortified place or town.

While the surname Abbe has its roots in medieval France, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through migration and colonization. The name continues to be found in many countries today, carrying with it a rich history and connection to the religious and occupational traditions of the past.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Abbe

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

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 Abbe 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 Abbe 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 Abbe was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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