Abramson
A patronymic surname of Jewish origin meaning "son of Abram" or "son of Abraham."
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,655 Americans carry the last name Abramson. That puts it at #6,896 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,611 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Abramson surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
5.7K
1 in 60,611
Census rank
#6,896
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,875 bearers of the surname Abramson in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6896th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Abramson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Black (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Abramson
The surname Abramson is of Ashkenazic Jewish origin, deriving from the Hebrew name "Avraham" or "Abraham." The name first emerged in the Middle Ages among Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe.
Abramson is a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally formed by adding the suffix "-son" to the personal name "Abram," indicating "son of Abram." This naming convention was common among Ashkenazi Jews, who often adopted surnames based on the given names of their ancestors.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Abramson can be found in the Pinkas Kehillat Friedberg, a 16th-century Jewish community record from the town of Friedberg, Germany. This document mentions an individual named Joseph Abramson, who lived in the late 1500s.
In the 17th century, the Abramson surname appeared in various Jewish communities across Europe. Notable individuals from this time period include Rabbi Judah Abramson (1638-1703), a prominent Talmudic scholar and author from Krakow, Poland.
As Jewish communities faced persecution and expulsion from various regions, the Abramson name spread throughout Europe and eventually to other parts of the world. In the 18th century, the surname can be found in records from Amsterdam, where a prominent Jewish family named Abramson resided.
One of the most famous individuals with the Abramson surname was Ralph Abramson (1900-1970), an American film producer and talent agent who founded the agency known today as International Creative Management (ICM). Another notable figure was Harold Abramson (1899-1980), a Canadian lawyer and jurist who served as a judge on the Court of Appeal for Ontario.
Other individuals bearing the Abramson surname include Moses Abramson (1858-1920), a Russian-American painter and illustrator; Lily Abramson (1904-1989), an American actress and dancer; and Jill Abramson (born 1954), a prominent American journalist and former executive editor of The New York Times.
The Abramson surname has a rich history rooted in the Jewish diaspora, reflecting the migration and perseverance of Ashkenazi Jewish communities across Europe and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Abramson
Among Census respondents with the surname Abramson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Black (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Abramson bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Abramson surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1%
- Hispanic or Latino3.2%
- Black or African American3.1%
- Two or more races1.4%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Abramson surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,896 | #6,896 | 0.0% |
| Count | 4,875 | 4,875 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.65 | 1.65 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Abramson bearers went from 4,875 to 4,875 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #6,896 to #6,896.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Abramson
FAQ
Abramson surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Abramson?
The surname Abramson holds position #6,896 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 5,655 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 1.65 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Abramson surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Abramson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Black (3.1%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.