Abling last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Abling

Derived from a Germanic personal name, likely meaning "noble" or "ancestor."

Abling, 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 Abling surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Abling in America

Abling is the 136449th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Abling surname appeared 123 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 Abling.

We can also compare 2010 data for Abling 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 136449 129619 5.13%
Count 123 121 1.64%
Proportion per 100k 0.04 0.04 0.00%

The history of the last name Abling

The surname ABLING originated in England, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a toponymic name, derived from a place name referring to a specific location or settlement. The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be traced back to the late 12th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the ABLING name was Robert de Abelyn, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire in 1197. This document, which recorded financial transactions in medieval England, suggests that the surname may have originated from the village of Ablington, located in modern-day Gloucestershire.

As surnames were not fully established until the late 13th and early 14th centuries, the ABLING name underwent various spelling variations over time. Some of these early variations include Abeelyn, Abelin, and Abelyne, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal inconsistencies of the period.

During the 14th century, the ABLING surname appeared in several historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a certain John Abelyn was listed as a taxpayer. Additionally, the name was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1380, which recorded land transactions and legal agreements.

One notable figure in English history bearing the ABLING surname was Sir John Abling, a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Warwickshire during the late 15th century. He was born around 1440 and played an active role in local affairs, serving as a Justice of the Peace and a member of the county's commission of array.

Another individual of note was Richard Abling, a clergyman who lived in the 16th century. He was appointed as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Taunton, Somerset, in 1568 and served in this position until his death in 1592. Records indicate that he was highly regarded within the local community.

In the 17th century, the ABLING surname can be found in various parish records and legal documents across England. One example is Thomas Abling, a merchant from London who was involved in trade with the American colonies. He was born in 1625 and is mentioned in several shipping manifests and business transactions from the mid-1600s.

By the 18th century, the ABLING surname had spread to other parts of the British Isles, including Scotland and Ireland. One notable figure from this period was James Abling, a Scottish philosopher and writer who was born in Edinburgh in 1710. He is best known for his influential work, "An Essay on the Nature of Reason," which explored the foundations of human rationality.

As the centuries progressed, the ABLING name continued to be present in various historical records and documents, reflecting the family's enduring presence and contributions to the social, economic, and cultural fabric of the regions they inhabited.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Abling

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

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 Abling was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 82.11% 101
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 15.45% 19
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Abling has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 82.11% 78.51% 4.48%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander 15.45% 18.18% -16.24%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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"Abling last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 11, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/abling-surname-popularity/.

"Abling last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/abling-surname-popularity/. Accessed 11 July, 2025

Abling last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/abling-surname-popularity/.

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