2000
#1,250
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,729
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.54
Uncommon Last name
Abraham
A biblical patriarch's name adopted as a surname, likely denoting a person's Jewish faith or ancestry.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 38,845 Americans carry the last name Abraham. That puts it at #1,011 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,824 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Abraham 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Abraham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
39K
1 in 8,824
Census rank
#1,011
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
11.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
34K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 33,875 bearers of the surname Abraham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1011th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Abraham, the largest self-reported group is White at 39.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.9%) and Black (20.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Abraham
Among Census respondents with the surname Abraham, the largest self-reported group is White at 39.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.9%) and Black (20.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Abraham 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 Abraham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White39.8% · 13,476
- Asian and Pacific Islander29.9% · 10,129
- Black or African American20.2% · 6,855
- Hispanic or Latino6.3% · 2,136
- Two or more races3.2% · 1,100
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 179
Timeline
Historical Census data for Abraham
Abraham 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
#1,120
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,303
+5,574 bearers (+21.7%)
Per 100,000 10.61
Rank movement Up 130 places
2020
#1,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,875
+2,572 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 11.33
Rank movement Up 109 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,250 | 25,729 | 9.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,120 | 31,303 | 10.61 | +5,574 bearers (+21.7%) | Up 130 places |
| 2020 | #1,011 | 33,875 | 11.33 | +2,572 bearers (+8.2%) | Up 109 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 Abraham 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 | #1,120 | #1,011 | 9.7% |
| Count | 31,303 | 33,875 | 8.2% |
| Per 100K | 10.61 | 11.33 | 6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Abraham bearers went from 31,303 to 33,875 (+8.2% change). The surname moved up 109 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,120 to #1,011.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Abraham
FAQ
Abraham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Abraham?
Name Census estimates that about 38,845 living Americans carry the surname Abraham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,824 residents.
How common is Abraham?
Abraham ranks #1,011 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 33,875 people with the surname Abraham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (38,845), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Abraham.
Has Abraham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Abraham went from 31,303 recorded bearers to 33,875. That is an increase of 2,572 (+8.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,120 to #1,011.
What does the Census say about the background of Abraham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Abraham, the largest self-reported group is White at 39.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.9%) and Black (20.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Abraham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 39.8% (13,476 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Abraham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (39.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (29.9%), Black (20.2%). 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 Abraham (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 Abraham mean?
A biblical patriarch's name adopted as a surname, likely denoting a person's Jewish faith or ancestry. 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 Abraham (11.33 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 many Americans have the surname Abraham?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.