Explore the Family Name Abbas
The meaning of Abbas
1. Muslim: from the Arabic personal name ʿAbbās, literally ‘stern, austere’. Al-ʿAbbas ibn ʿAbd al-Muttalib was the name of an uncle of the prophet Muhammad (see Abbasi). 2. Dutch: patronymic from the personal name Abbe, a pet form of Albert or Albrecht. History: Melle Hemmes Abbas (born in Wijmeer, the Netherlands, in 1855, died in Ackley, IA, 1929) and Derk Abbas (born in Finsterwolde, the Netherlands, in 1868), emigrated with their families to the US; they were descendants of Jan Abbisz van Scellinckhout, 1530. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Syed, Ghulam, Ali, Mohammad, Mohammed, Mohamed, Farhat, Abbas, Asad, Azhar, Ahmad, Amir.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Abbas in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Abbas" has significantly increased from the year 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Abbas was ranked 9348th in terms of popularity among surnames in the United States, but by 2010 it had risen to the 6781st position. This represents a substantial climb of 27.46%. Additionally, the count of people bearing this surname grew by over half (55.49%) during the same period, increasing from 3199 in 2000 to 4974 in 2010. The surname's proportion per 100k people also saw an upward trend, surging by 42.02% from 1.19 in 2000 to 1.69 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,348 | #6,781 | 27.46% |
| Count | 3,199 | 4,974 | 55.49% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.19 | 1.69 | 42.02% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Abbas
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Abbas also varied between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. A noticeable increase was seen in the proportions of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black, rising by 22.15% and 25.29%, respectively. Conversely, the percentage of individuals identifying as two or more races dropped dramatically by 62.05%. The proportion of those identifying as white remained relatively stable, with a slight increase of 0.69%. The surname began to appear amongst Hispanic populations and American Indian and Alaskan Native populations in 2010, representing a new development in the distribution of the surname Abbas across different ethnic identities.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 46.7% | 47.02% | 0.69% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 32.14% | 39.26% | 22.15% |
| Black | 5.1% | 6.39% | 25.29% |
| Two or More Races | 13.57% | 5.15% | -62.05% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 1.93% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.24% | 0% |
Abbas ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Abbas is Northern Indian & Pakistani, which comprises 27.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (10.3%) and Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian (10.2%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Levantine, Peninsular Arab, Egyptian, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Northern Indian & Pakistani | 27.1% |
| British & Irish | 10.3% |
| Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian | 10.2% |
| Other | 52.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Abbas
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Abbas have recent ancestry locations in Pakistan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Punjab, Pakistan | 23.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 22.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 22.80% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 22.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 22.80% |
What Abbas haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Abbas is J-CTS5368, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-CTS5368 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include J-L26 and R-Y7, which are predominantly found among people with European and Central & South Asian ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Aziz, Ali, Hassan, Ismail, Mohammed, Habib, Ahmed, Ahmad, Osman, Schwartz.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Abbas surname are: M, U2_3_4_7_8_9, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304
Your paternal lineage may be linked to men who spread the Semitic languages
Men carrying the J-M267 lineage took part in many waves of migrations over the millennia, and domesticated animals and plants weren't the only things they carried. They may also have been among the communities that spread the Semitic languages, a diverse group that bloomed from a single proto-Semitic tongue in the Levant nearly 5,750 years ago. These men likely carried branches of both haplogroup J and of the Semitic language family through the Arabian Peninsula to the Horn of Africa. Still later, some J-M267-bearing men re-expanded from the Arabian Peninsula back through the Middle East and across North Africa in migrations associated with the emergence and spread of Islam.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Abbas have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Abbas" Surname 41.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Abbas" Surname 64.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Vitamin Use
Takes vitamins on a regular basis.
"Abbas" Surname 58.3%
23andMe Users 45.5%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Abbas" Surname 16.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Abbas?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Abbas are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition