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

Abbott, 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 Abbott surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Abbott in America

Abbott is the 645th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Abbott surname appeared 52,739 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 18 people would have the surname Abbott.

We can also compare 2010 data for Abbott 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 Abbott

The surname Abbott is of English origin, derived from the Anglo-Norman French word "abbot," meaning the head of a monastery or convent. The name first emerged in the 12th century, often referring to a person who worked or lived near an abbey or had some connection to a monastic establishment.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Abbott can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1190, where it appears as "Abbod." Similar spellings, such as "Abbot" and "Abbat," can be found in various medieval records throughout England.

The surname Abbott is also mentioned in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror to record the landholdings and properties in England after the Norman Conquest. This suggests that the name had already been established in England by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was John Abbot, born around 1225 in Oxfordshire, England. He was a notable English theologian and philosopher who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1278 until his death in 1292.

Another prominent figure with the surname Abbott was George Abbott, born in 1562 in Shropshire, England. He was a distinguished writer and Church of England clergyman who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1611 to 1633.

Robert Abbott, born in 1588 in Buckinghamshire, England, was a Puritan minister and author who played a significant role in the early settlement of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 17th century.

In the 18th century, John Abbott, born in 1717 in Yorkshire, England, was a notable British painter and portrait artist who gained recognition for his works depicting members of the British aristocracy and gentry.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Abbott was Sir John Abbott, born in 1821 in St. Andrews, Quebec, Canada. He was a Canadian statesman and the third Prime Minister of Canada, serving from 1891 to 1892.

The surname Abbott has been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Abbott's Bromley in Staffordshire, Abbott's Ann in Hampshire, and Abbott's Salford in Warwickshire, suggesting that the name may have originated from specific locations or settlements near abbeys or monasteries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Abbott

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

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

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

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