2000
#9,930
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,998
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Abe
A Japanese surname meaning "avenue" or "ridge," likely referring to a place of residence near those geographical features.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,342 Americans carry the last name Abe. That puts it at #10,505 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,560 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Abe 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 Abe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 102,560
Census rank
#10,505
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,914 bearers of the surname Abe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10505th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Abe, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.6%. The next largest groups are White (17.5%) and Two or More Races (9.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Abe
Among Census respondents with the surname Abe, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.6%. The next largest groups are White (17.5%) and Two or More Races (9.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Abe 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 Abe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander59.6% · 1,736
- White17.5% · 510
- Two or more races9.5% · 278
- Black or African American8.3% · 241
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 101
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 48
Timeline
Historical Census data for Abe
Abe 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
#10,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,938
-60 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 907 places
2020
#10,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,914
-24 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Up 332 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,930 | 2,998 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,837 | 2,938 | 1.00 | -60 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 907 places |
| 2020 | #10,505 | 2,914 | 0.97 | -24 bearers (-0.8%) | Up 332 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 Abe 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 | #10,837 | #10,505 | 3.1% |
| Count | 2,938 | 2,914 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.97 | -2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Abe bearers went from 2,938 to 2,914 (-0.8% change). The surname moved up 332 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,837 to #10,505.
FAQ
Abe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Abe?
Name Census estimates that about 3,342 living Americans carry the surname Abe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,560 residents.
How common is Abe?
Abe ranks #10,505 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,914 people with the surname Abe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,342), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Abe.
Has Abe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Abe went from 2,938 recorded bearers to 2,914. That is a decrease of 24 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,837 to #10,505.
What does the Census say about the background of Abe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Abe, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.6%. The next largest groups are White (17.5%) and Two or More Races (9.5%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Abe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.6% (1,736 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Abe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (59.6%), White (17.5%), Two or More Races (9.5%). 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 Abe (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 Abe mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "avenue" or "ridge," likely referring to a place of residence near those geographical features. 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 Abe (0.97 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 Abe?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.