2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Aberra
An Ethiopian surname of unknown meaning, possibly derived from a place name or personal characteristic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 344 Americans carry the last name Aberra. That puts it at #70,358 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 996,379 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aberra 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
344
1 in 996,379
Census rank
#70,358
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
300
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 300 bearers of the surname Aberra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 70358th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aberra, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aberra
The surname ABERRA has its origins in Ethiopia, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Amharic language, with roots in the ancient Semitic tongues of the region. The name likely originated in the northern highlands of Ethiopia, particularly in the provinces of Tigray and Amhara.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the ABERRA name can be found in a 14th-century manuscript detailing the lineages of noble families in the Ethiopian highlands. The document mentions an individual named Aberra Gebremeskel, who was a prominent landowner and military commander during the reign of Emperor Amda Seyon I (1314-1344).
In the 16th century, a legendary figure named Aberra Azmach is said to have played a crucial role in defending the kingdom of Shewa against invading forces from the Adal Sultanate. His bravery and military prowess are celebrated in oral traditions and folk tales passed down through generations.
The name ABERRA gained further prominence in the 19th century, when Aberra Wossen (1826-1888) rose to become a powerful military leader and governor of the Shewa region under Emperor Tewodros II. His exploits and contributions to the unification of Ethiopia are well-documented in historical records.
Another notable figure with the ABERRA surname was Aberra Worku (1890-1967), a renowned scholar and linguist who made significant contributions to the study and preservation of Amharic literature and language. His works are widely regarded as invaluable resources for understanding the cultural heritage of Ethiopia.
In more recent history, Aberra Molla (1922-1996) was a prominent Ethiopian politician and diplomat who served as the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia from 1977 to 1983. He played a crucial role in shaping Ethiopia's foreign relations during a turbulent period in the country's history.
While the ABERRA name has its roots in Ethiopia, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diasporas. However, its origins and deep connections to the history and culture of the Ethiopian highlands remain an integral part of its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aberra
Among Census respondents with the surname Aberra, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Aberra 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 Aberra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.7% · 281
- Two or more races3.3% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 7
- White0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aberra
Aberra 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
#81,458
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 232
+106 bearers (+84.1%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 44,181 places
2020
#70,358
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 300
+68 bearers (+29.3%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 11,100 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #81,458 | 232 | 0.08 | +106 bearers (+84.1%) | Up 44,181 places |
| 2020 | #70,358 | 300 | 0.10 | +68 bearers (+29.3%) | Up 11,100 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 Aberra 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 | #81,458 | #70,358 | 13.6% |
| Count | 232 | 300 | 29.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.10 | 25.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aberra bearers went from 232 to 300 (+29.3% change). The surname moved up 11,100 positions in the national ranking, going from #81,458 to #70,358.
FAQ
Aberra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aberra?
Name Census estimates that about 344 living Americans carry the surname Aberra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 996,379 residents.
How common is Aberra?
Aberra ranks #70,358 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 300 people with the surname Aberra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (344), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Aberra.
Has Aberra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aberra went from 232 recorded bearers to 300. That is an increase of 68 (+29.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #81,458 to #70,358.
What does the Census say about the background of Aberra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aberra, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Aberra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (281 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aberra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (93.7%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Aberra (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 Aberra mean?
An Ethiopian surname of unknown meaning, possibly derived from a place name or personal characteristic. 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 Aberra (0.10 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 common is the surname Aberra?
Want to know how common the surname Aberra is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.