2000
#1,809
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,243
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.76
Uncommon Last name
Abel
Derived from the Hebrew name Hevel, meaning "breath" or "vanity," and refers to the biblical figure Abel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,178 Americans carry the last name Abel. That puts it at #2,011 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,987 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Abel 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 Abel with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 16,987
Census rank
#2,011
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,596 bearers of the surname Abel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2011th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Abel, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Abel
Among Census respondents with the surname Abel, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Abel 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 Abel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.1% · 14,968
- Black or African American5.7% · 1,011
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 683
- Two or more races3.5% · 618
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 195
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 121
Timeline
Historical Census data for Abel
Abel 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
#1,958
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,464
+221 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 6.26
Rank movement Down 149 places
2020
#2,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,596
-868 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 5.89
Rank movement Down 53 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,809 | 18,243 | 6.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,958 | 18,464 | 6.26 | +221 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 149 places |
| 2020 | #2,011 | 17,596 | 5.89 | -868 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 53 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 Abel 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 | #1,958 | #2,011 | -2.7% |
| Count | 18,464 | 17,596 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 6.26 | 5.89 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Abel bearers went from 18,464 to 17,596 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 53 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,958 to #2,011.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Abel
FAQ
Abel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Abel?
Name Census estimates that about 20,178 living Americans carry the surname Abel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,987 residents.
How common is Abel?
Abel ranks #2,011 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,596 people with the surname Abel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,178), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Abel.
Has Abel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Abel went from 18,464 recorded bearers to 17,596. That is a decrease of 868 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,958 to #2,011.
What does the Census say about the background of Abel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Abel, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Abel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.1% (14,968 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Abel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.1%), Black (5.7%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Abel (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 Abel mean?
Derived from the Hebrew name Hevel, meaning "breath" or "vanity," and refers to the biblical figure Abel. 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 Abel (5.89 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 share the surname Abel?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.