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

Abel, 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 Abel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Abel in America

Abel is the 1958th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Abel surname appeared 18,464 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Abel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Abel 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 Abel

The surname Abel has its origins in the Middle Ages, originating from the Hebrew personal name Abel, meaning "breath" or "vanity." The name first appeared in England and Scotland, likely introduced by Jewish immigrants from the European continent or Normandy.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Abel" in Cambridgeshire. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the name began to spread across Britain, with variations in spelling appearing, such as Abell, Abelle, and Abyll.

In the 14th century, the surname Abel was also found in the Low Countries, particularly in the Dutch-speaking regions. It is believed that the name may have been adopted by families residing near places named Abel or derived from the Dutch word "abel," meaning "noble."

Notable individuals with the surname Abel include the English poet and playwright Thomas Abel (c. 1497-1540), who is best known for his morality play "The Tragedy of Cratander." Another prominent figure was Sir Frederic Augustus Abel (1827-1902), an English chemist and explosives expert who pioneered the development of smokeless gunpowder.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Robert Abel, who arrived in Virginia in 1622. John Abel (1578-1675), an early Puritan settler, was among the founders of the town of Dedham, Massachusetts, in 1635.

Other notable individuals with the surname Abel include the German mathematician Niels Henrik Abel (1802-1829), who made significant contributions to the field of algebraic equations, and the American filmmaker Robert Abel (1937-2001), known for his pioneering work in computer animation and visual effects.

Throughout history, the surname Abel has been associated with various occupations and professions, from scholars and writers to scientists and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Abel

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

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

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

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