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

Abu, 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 Abu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Abu in America

Abu is the 33036th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Abu surname appeared 693 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 Abu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Abu 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 Abu

The surname ABU is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is thought to have emerged as a surname in the Arabian Peninsula around the 8th century AD, during the early years of the Islamic caliphates.

ABU is derived from the Arabic word 'ab', which means father. It was commonly used as a patronymic suffix, added to a person's first name to indicate their lineage or ancestry. For example, Abu Bakr, one of the earliest and most prominent companions of the Prophet Muhammad, translates to "father of Bakr".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname ABU can be found in the writings of renowned Arab scholars and historians of the 9th and 10th centuries. These include works by Al-Tabari, Ibn Khaldun, and Al-Masudi, among others, who documented the lives and deeds of notable individuals bearing the surname.

The surname ABU gained prominence during the golden age of Islamic civilization, as scholars, poets, and philosophers from various regions adopted it. One such figure was Abu Nuwas (756-814 AD), a celebrated Arabic poet known for his satirical and romantic works, who hailed from the city of Ahvaz in present-day Iran.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Abu Rayhan al-Biruni (973-1048 AD), a renowned scholar, mathematician, and astronomer from the region of Khorasan (modern-day Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia). His groundbreaking works on geography, history, and astronomy influenced generations of scholars across the Islamic world and beyond.

In the medieval period, the surname ABU also found its way into the annals of history through the exploits of military leaders and rulers. One such figure was Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (573-634 AD), a close companion of Prophet Muhammad and the first Caliph of the Islamic world after the prophet's death.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah (721-754 AD), the founder of the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled over vast territories spanning from North Africa to Central Asia, ushering in a golden age of cultural and scientific achievements.

As the Islamic empires expanded and trade routes flourished, the surname ABU spread to various regions, including the Iberian Peninsula, where it is believed to have been introduced during the Moorish rule of Spain. In this region, the name evolved into various spellings, such as Abul and Abulafia, reflecting the influence of local languages and dialects.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Abu

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

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

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

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