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

Abe, 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 Abe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Abe in America

Abe is the 10837th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Abe surname appeared 2,938 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Abe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Abe 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 Abe

The surname "Abe" is of Japanese origin, and it is believed to have originated in the 15th century or earlier. The name is derived from the Japanese word "abe," which means "willow tree." It is thought that the name was initially used to identify people who lived near or worked with willow trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Abe" can be found in the Kamakura period (1185-1333), where it appears in historical records and documents from that time. The name was particularly prevalent in the Shizuoka and Aichi prefectures of Japan, suggesting that these regions may have been the original areas where the surname was commonly used.

Historically, the name "Abe" has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the most famous was Abe no Seimei (921-1005), a renowned onmyoji (traditional Japanese occultist) and astrologer during the Heian period (794-1185). His works and teachings had a significant impact on Japanese culture and influenced various aspects of society, including literature and the arts.

Another notable figure with the surname "Abe" was Abe no Nakamaro (698-770), a Japanese scholar, poet, and statesman who served as a high-ranking official during the Nara period (710-794). He was known for his contributions to the development of Japanese literature and his diplomatic missions to China.

In the 16th century, Abe Sadayoshi (1536-1607) was a prominent Japanese daimyo (feudal lord) who played a crucial role in the unification of Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate. He was a skilled military strategist and a loyal supporter of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Abe clan was a influential samurai family based in the Aizu region of present-day Fukushima Prefecture. One notable member of this clan was Abe Masahiro (1819-1857), a skilled swordsman and martial arts instructor who played a significant role in the development of the Shinto Munen-ryu school of swordsmanship.

In more recent times, Abe Shinzo (1954-2022) was a prominent Japanese politician who served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020, becoming one of the longest-serving prime ministers in Japanese history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Abe

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

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

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

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