2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Abely
French occupational surname referring to a beekeeper or seller of honey and beeswax.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Abely. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Abely 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.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Abely in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Abely, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Abely
The surname ABELY is of English origin, first recorded in the late 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "aebel," which means "meadow" or "open field." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived near or worked on meadowlands or open fields.
The name ABELY can be traced back to various regions in England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. Some of the earliest recorded variations of the spelling include Abely, Abelye, Abeely, and Abele.
One of the earliest known references to the name ABELY can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, which lists a certain Willelmus Abely. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273 mention a John Abely.
In the 14th century, the name ABELY appeared in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a Thomas Abely was recorded in 1348. This suggests that the ABELY family had established roots in the region during this period.
The earliest known person of note with the surname ABELY is John Abely, who was born around 1450 in Lincolnshire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a justice of the peace in his county.
Another notable figure with this surname was William Abely, born in 1532 in Nottinghamshire. He was a successful merchant and a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London.
In the 16th century, the ABELY name was also associated with the village of Abely in Staffordshire. This place name is likely derived from the surname itself, suggesting that the ABELY family may have been influential landowners in the area.
Sir Robert Abely, born in 1618 in Yorkshire, was a distinguished military officer who served in the English Civil War. He fought for the Royalist cause and was knighted for his valor and loyalty to King Charles I.
Another prominent ABELY was Elizabeth Abely, born in 1670 in Lincolnshire. She was a renowned author and poet, known for her works on religious and moral themes.
In the 18th century, Edward Abely, born in 1745 in Nottinghamshire, made significant contributions to the field of agriculture. He authored several influential books on farming practices and was recognized for his innovative techniques.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Abely
Among Census respondents with the surname Abely, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Abely 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 Abely surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Abely
Abely 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
+9 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 789 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-26 bearers (-20.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 22,222 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 789 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -26 bearers (-20.5%) | Down 22,222 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 Abely 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 | #133,048 | #155,270 | -16.7% |
| Count | 127 | 101 | -20.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Abely bearers went from 127 to 101 (-20.5% change). The surname moved down 22,222 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #155,270.
FAQ
Abely surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Abely?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Abely. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Abely?
Abely ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Abely. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Abely.
Has Abely become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Abely went from 127 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 26 (-20.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Abely?
Among Census respondents with the surname Abely, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Abely in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Abely appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Abely (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 Abely mean?
French occupational surname referring to a beekeeper or seller of honey and beeswax. 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 Abely (0.03 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 last name Abely?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Abely, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.