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

Abraham, 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 Abraham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Abraham in America

Abraham is the 1120th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Abraham surname appeared 31,303 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Abraham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Abraham 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 Abraham

The surname Abraham has its origins in the Middle East, tracing back to ancient Hebrew and Aramaic languages. It is derived from the Hebrew personal name "Avraham," which means "father of many" or "father of a multitude." This name is associated with the biblical patriarch Abraham, revered in the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The name Abraham first appeared in historical records as early as the 6th century BCE, when it was mentioned in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). It was a common name among Jewish communities in the Middle East and gradually spread to other regions as Jewish communities dispersed throughout the Mediterranean region and beyond.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Abraham can be found in medieval Spain, where it was used by Sephardic Jews. During the 12th century, the Abraham family was prominent in the city of Toledo, with scholars and philosophers like Moses Abraham ben Maimon (also known as Maimonides, born in 1135 CE) bearing this name.

In England, the surname Abraham can be traced back to the 13th century, when Jews were allowed to settle in certain areas. The Pipe Rolls of 1186 mention a "Solomon Abraham" in Lincolnshire. Another early record is from the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a "Jacob Abraham" in Oxfordshire.

As the surname spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Abrahams, Abram, and Abrahami. These variations were likely influenced by local languages and dialects.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the surname Abraham:

1. Walter Abraham (1876-1922), a German physicist known for his contributions to the development of electron theory and the study of ionized gases.

2. Karl Abraham (1877-1925), a German psychoanalyst and one of the earliest collaborators of Sigmund Freud.

3. Ralph Abraham (1936-2022), an American mathematician and pioneer in the fields of chaos theory and dynamical systems.

4. Mazharul Islam Abraham (1922-1997), a Bengali writer, playwright, and journalist from Bangladesh.

5. Roger Abraham (1924-2019), a British film editor known for his work on numerous acclaimed films, including "The Godfather Part III" and "The Snowman."

The surname Abraham has a rich history rooted in ancient cultures and religious traditions, and it has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and fields, contributing to various aspects of society throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Abraham

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

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

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

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