2000
#6,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,616
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.71
Rare Last name
Abshire
Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Abba's shire" in Old English, referring to a landholding.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,211 Americans carry the last name Abshire. That puts it at #7,102 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,775 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Abshire 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.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 65,775
Census rank
#7,102
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,544 bearers of the surname Abshire in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7102nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Abshire, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Abshire
The surname Abshire is of English origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "æt" meaning "at" and "byrig" meaning "a fortified place or town," forming the phrase "at the borough." This suggests that the name was likely borne by individuals who resided in or near a fortified town or borough.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from the year 1221, where a Thomas de Aburbury is mentioned. This early spelling variation, Aburbury, provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
The Abshire surname is also believed to have connections to various place names in England, such as Abberbury in Shropshire and Aberford in West Yorkshire. These place names share similarities with the surname, further reinforcing its geographical origins.
Notable historical figures bearing the Abshire surname include Sir Edward Abshire (1574-1647), an English politician who served as a member of parliament during the reign of King Charles I. Another prominent individual was John Abshire (1660-1721), a renowned clockmaker and watchmaker from London, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by aristocrats and nobility.
In the literary world, the name gained recognition through the works of William Abshire (1785-1859), an English poet and playwright whose works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
Moving forward in time, the Abshire surname continued to be represented by notable individuals, such as Mary Abshire (1892-1978), a pioneering social worker and advocate for women's rights in the United States.
Throughout history, the Abshire surname has maintained a presence across various fields, from politics and craftsmanship to literature and social activism, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural tapestry of England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Abshire
Among Census respondents with the surname Abshire, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Abshire 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 Abshire surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 4,210
- Two or more races3.1% · 140
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 127
- Black or African American0.6% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Abshire
Abshire 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
#7,010
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,778
+162 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Down 276 places
2020
#7,102
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,544
-234 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 92 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,734 | 4,616 | 1.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,010 | 4,778 | 1.62 | +162 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 276 places |
| 2020 | #7,102 | 4,544 | 1.52 | -234 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 92 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 Abshire 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 | #7,010 | #7,102 | -1.3% |
| Count | 4,778 | 4,544 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.62 | 1.52 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Abshire bearers went from 4,778 to 4,544 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 92 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,010 to #7,102.
FAQ
Abshire surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Abshire?
Name Census estimates that about 5,211 living Americans carry the surname Abshire. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,775 residents.
How common is Abshire?
Abshire ranks #7,102 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,544 people with the surname Abshire. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,211), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Abshire.
Has Abshire become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Abshire went from 4,778 recorded bearers to 4,544. That is a decrease of 234 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,010 to #7,102.
What does the Census say about the background of Abshire?
Among Census respondents with the surname Abshire, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Abshire in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (4,210 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Abshire appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Abshire (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 Abshire mean?
Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Abba's shire" in Old English, referring to a landholding. 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 Abshire (1.52 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 people have the surname Abshire?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.