Abott last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Abott

Derived from a Middle English nickname meaning "little abbot," likely referring to someone who worked for or resembled an abbot.

Abott, 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 Abott surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Abott in America

Abott is the 106570th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Abott surname appeared 167 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 Abott.

We can also compare 2010 data for Abott 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 106570 100663 5.70%
Count 167 166 0.60%
Proportion per 100k 0.06 0.06 0.00%

The history of the last name Abott

The surname Abott originated in England during the medieval period. It is a variant spelling of the occupational surname Abbott, derived from the Old French word "abbot," meaning the head of an abbey or monastery. The name likely referred to someone who served as an abbot or worked in close association with an abbey.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Abott can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which record a William Abbot residing in Norfolk. Another early reference is in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, where a John Abbot is mentioned.

During the Middle Ages, the name Abott was closely associated with religious institutions and ecclesiastical authorities. In some cases, it may have been adopted as a hereditary surname by individuals who initially held positions within abbeys or monasteries.

One prominent figure bearing the surname Abott was George Abott (1562-1633), an English writer, theologian, and Archbishop of Canterbury from 1611 until his death. He played a significant role in the English Reformation and was a influential figure in the Church of England during his tenure.

Another notable individual with the surname Abott was Maurice Abott (1565-1642), an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1638-1639. He was actively involved in the governance of the City of London and held various positions of authority.

In the realm of literature, Jacob Abott (1803-1879) was an American writer and educator who authored numerous works, including the famous "Rollo Books" series for children. His books were widely popular and contributed to the education of many young readers in the 19th century.

The surname Abott has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Abott's Bromley in Staffordshire, which may have been derived from an individual bearing the name. Additionally, variations in spelling, such as Abbot, Abbett, and Abbitt, have been observed throughout historical records.

Overall, the surname Abott has a rich history rooted in the religious and ecclesiastical traditions of medieval England, with various notable individuals bearing the name across different fields and time periods. Its evolution and usage have been influenced by occupational origins, place names, and the changing spellings common in historical documents.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Abott

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

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 Abott was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 74.85% 125
Non-Hispanic Black Only 11.38% 19
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 2.99% 5
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 7.19% 12

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 74.85% 82.53% -9.76%
Black 11.38% 12.05% -5.72%
Asian and Pacific Islander 2.99% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 7.19% (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 Abott was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Abott last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 27, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/abott-surname-popularity/.

"Abott last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/abott-surname-popularity/. Accessed 27 July, 2024

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

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