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

Abergel, 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 Abergel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Abergel in America

Abergel is the 89403rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Abergel surname appeared 207 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Abergel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Abergel 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 Abergel

The surname Abergel is of Sephardic Jewish origin, tracing its roots back to the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Hebrew name Avram, which means "father of many." The suffix "gel" is thought to be a shortened form of the Hebrew word "goel," meaning "redeemer" or "protector."

During the Spanish Inquisition, many Sephardic Jews were forced to convert to Catholicism or face expulsion from Spain. Those who chose to convert were known as "Conversos," and they often adopted Spanish-sounding surnames to conceal their Jewish heritage. The name Abergel may have been adopted by some Converso families as a way to blend in with the dominant Catholic population.

One of the earliest documented references to the Abergel surname can be found in the records of the Inquisition tribunals in Spain and Portugal. These records mention several individuals with the name Abergel who were accused of practicing Judaism in secret, known as "Crypto-Jews."

In the 17th century, many Sephardic Jews fled the Iberian Peninsula and settled in various parts of the Mediterranean region, including North Africa, Turkey, and the Balkans. The Abergel surname can be found in the historic Jewish communities of these regions, particularly in Morocco and Algeria.

One notable individual with the Abergel surname was Abraham Abergel (1659-1722), a prominent Rabbi and scholar from the Moroccan city of Fez. He authored several influential works on Jewish law and philosophy and is celebrated for his contributions to the preservation of Sephardic Jewish traditions.

Another historical figure was Isaac Abergel (1737-1803), a prominent merchant and philanthropist from Livorno, Italy. He was instrumental in establishing a Jewish school and supporting various charitable initiatives within the Livornese Jewish community.

In the 19th century, Sephardic Jews from North Africa began migrating to Europe and the Americas, bringing the Abergel surname with them. One such individual was Jacob Abergel (1812-1887), a successful businessman and community leader in Marseille, France, who helped establish several Jewish institutions in the city.

In the 20th century, the Abergel surname gained prominence in the literary and artistic circles of Paris. Maurice Abergel (1901-1985) was a renowned French author and playwright, known for his works that explored the themes of identity and assimilation among the Sephardic Jewish diaspora.

Lastly, Yaacov Abergel (1927-2014) was a renowned Israeli painter and sculptor, whose works were heavily influenced by his Sephardic Jewish heritage and the landscapes of his native Morocco.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Abergel

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!