2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Abuel
A Spanish surname derived from the word "abuelo," meaning "grandfather," likely referring to an ancestor's status or nickname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 279 Americans carry the last name Abuel. That puts it at #83,373 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,228,510 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Abuel 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
279
1 in 1,228,510
Census rank
#83,373
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
243
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 243 bearers of the surname Abuel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 83373rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Abuel, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and White (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Abuel
The surname ABUEL originates from the Spanish region of Aragon, where it first emerged in the late 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Arabic word "abu" meaning "father" or "ancestor," combined with the Spanish suffix "-el," indicating a patronymic naming convention.
Records indicate that the earliest known bearer of the ABUEL surname was Juan Abuel, a merchant from Zaragoza, who was mentioned in local tax records dated 1487. The name later spread to other parts of Spain, particularly in the regions of Catalonia and Valencia, where variations like ABUÉL and ABUHEL were also found.
In the 16th century, the ABUEL surname appeared in several historical documents, such as the Libro de Repartimiento de Tierras (Book of Land Distribution) of the Kingdom of Valencia, which recorded the names of settlers and landowners after the Christian conquest of the region. One notable entry was María Abuel, a landowner in the town of Játiva, dated 1535.
During the 17th century, the ABUEL family gained prominence in the city of Barcelona. Jaume Abuel (1612-1679) was a renowned sculptor and woodcarver, whose works adorned several churches and cathedrals in Catalonia. His son, Pere Abuel (1648-1711), followed in his footsteps and became a respected artist and architect, contributing to the design of several notable buildings in Barcelona.
In the 18th century, the ABUEL surname was found in the Spanish colonies of the Americas. Manuel Abuel (1724-1802) was a successful merchant and landowner in Havana, Cuba, where he established a thriving business exporting sugar and tobacco. His descendants continued to play a significant role in the economic and social life of the island for several generations.
As the ABUEL family spread across Spain and its territories, the name evolved into various spellings and variations, such as ABUÉL, ABUELL, and ABUHEL. Some notable bearers of these variations include:
1. Fernando Abuél (1798-1863), a Spanish military officer who fought in the Carlist Wars.
2. Mariana Abuell (1822-1898), a prominent philanthropist and social reformer in Puerto Rico.
3. Enrique Abuhel (1857-1932), a renowned architect who designed several landmarks in Madrid, Spain.
4. Isabel Abuell de Cortés (1874-1949), a Mexican writer and activist for women's rights.
5. Jorge Abuel (1901-1977), a celebrated painter and sculptor from Argentina, known for his abstract expressionist works.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Abuel
Among Census respondents with the surname Abuel, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and White (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Abuel 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 Abuel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander86.0% · 209
- Two or more races5.8% · 14
- White4.5% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Abuel
Abuel 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
#87,335
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 213
+82 bearers (+62.6%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 34,445 places
2020
#83,373
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 243
+30 bearers (+14.1%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 3,962 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #87,335 | 213 | 0.07 | +82 bearers (+62.6%) | Up 34,445 places |
| 2020 | #83,373 | 243 | 0.08 | +30 bearers (+14.1%) | Up 3,962 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 Abuel 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 | #87,335 | #83,373 | 4.5% |
| Count | 213 | 243 | 14.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.08 | 16.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Abuel bearers went from 213 to 243 (+14.1% change). The surname moved up 3,962 positions in the national ranking, going from #87,335 to #83,373.
FAQ
Abuel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Abuel?
Name Census estimates that about 279 living Americans carry the surname Abuel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,228,510 residents.
How common is Abuel?
Abuel ranks #83,373 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 243 people with the surname Abuel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (279), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Abuel.
Has Abuel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Abuel went from 213 recorded bearers to 243. That is an increase of 30 (+14.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #87,335 to #83,373.
What does the Census say about the background of Abuel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Abuel, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and White (4.5%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Abuel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (209 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Abuel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (86.0%), Two or More Races (5.8%), White (4.5%). 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 Abuel (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 Abuel mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "abuelo," meaning "grandfather," likely referring to an ancestor's status or nickname. 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 Abuel (0.08 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 are called Abuel?
See how many people have the last name Abuel on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.