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

Abby, 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 Abby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Abby in America

Abby is the 51176th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Abby surname appeared 407 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 Abby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Abby 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 Abby

The surname ABBY originated in England during the Middle Ages, derived from the Old English word "abbot," meaning the head of a monastery or abbey. It was initially used as an occupational name for someone who worked in or lived near an abbey.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ABBY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Ailric Abbe in Lincolnshire, suggesting that the name was already in use during the 11th century.

Over time, the name ABBY spread across different regions of England, with variations in spelling appearing in historical records. Some of these variations include Abbie, Aby, Abey, and Abbe. These variations often reflected regional dialects and scribal preferences.

In the 13th century, a prominent figure named William Abby served as the Sheriff of Oxfordshire from 1231 to 1232. His name appears in various legal documents and records from that period, indicating the name's use among influential individuals.

During the 14th century, a notable bearer of the ABBY surname was John Abby, who lived in Dorset. He was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which were tax records documenting the population and wealth of the time.

Another historical figure bearing the ABBY surname was Sir Thomas Abby, a Member of Parliament for Shropshire in the 16th century. He played a role in the English Reformation and was a supporter of the Protestant cause during the reign of Edward VI.

In the 17th century, a prominent individual named Edward Abby was a wealthy merchant and landowner in Somerset. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and contributed to the establishment of several charitable institutions in the region.

As the ABBY surname spread throughout England, it also found its way to other parts of the world through migration and colonization. Over the centuries, the name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, politicians, artists, and professionals.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Abby

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

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

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

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