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

Abrera, 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 Abrera surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Abrera in America

Abrera is the 129825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Abrera surname appeared 131 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 Abrera.

We can also compare 2010 data for Abrera 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 Abrera

The surname Abrera originated in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period, which lasted from the 16th to the 19th century. It is believed to be derived from the town of Abra, located in the province of Abra in the northern part of Luzon island. The town's name is thought to have originated from the word "abrir," which means "to open" in Spanish, possibly referring to the opening or passage through the mountains in that region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Abrera surname can be found in the "Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidos" (Alphabetical Catalog of Surnames), a document compiled by the Spanish colonial authorities in the Philippines during the late 18th century. This document served as a record of the surnames assigned to Filipino families as part of the implementation of the Catálogo Alfabético de Apellidos (Alphabetic Catalog of Surnames), a decree issued by Governor-General José Basco y Vargas in 1849.

The earliest known individual with the surname Abrera was Pedro Abrera, a prominent landowner and businessman who lived in the town of Abra in the late 18th century. He was known for his involvement in the local agricultural and trading industries.

In the 19th century, the Abrera family became influential in the political and social spheres of the Philippines. One notable figure was Juan Abrera (1815-1892), a lawyer and statesman who served as a representative in the Spanish Cortes (parliament) for several years.

Another prominent individual with the Abrera surname was Maria Abrera (1867-1935), a renowned educator and women's rights advocate. She founded one of the first schools for girls in the Philippines and played a significant role in promoting women's education and empowerment during the late Spanish colonial period and the early years of American rule.

In more recent times, the Abrera surname has been carried by notable figures such as Hernando Abrera (1913-1998), a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in Manila, and Benito Abrera (1927-2022), a celebrated Filipino artist known for his abstract expressionist paintings.

While the Abrera surname originated in the Philippines, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, its roots can be traced back to the town of Abra and the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Abrera

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

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

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

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