Explore the Family Name Abbe
The meaning of Abbe
1. English: from the Middle English personal name Abbe, which is usually a pet form of the female name Aubrey but may sometimes be a pet form of a male name beginning with Ab-, namely Abel, Abraham, or Absalom. This surname is rare in Britain. 2. English: occasionally perhaps also a variant of Abbey. 3. German: from a pet form of the personal name Albrecht (see Albert). 4. French (Abbé): from abbé ‘priest, abbot’, presumably a metonymic occupational name for someone employed in the household of a priest, or a nickname for someone thought to resemble a priest or an abbot in appearance or behavior. Compare Labbe. History: John Abbe (born 1613) emigrated from Attleborough in Norfolk, England, to Salem, MA, in 1635.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Abbe in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname "Abbe" saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Abbe was ranked as the 18,938th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had dropped to the 19,697th position, marking a change of -4.01%. However, despite this slip in ranking, the actual count of individuals carrying the Abbe surname rose from 1,333 in 2000 to 1,368 in 2010, an increase of 2.63%. The proportion per 100k people also dipped slightly from 0.49 in 2000 to 0.46 in 2010, showing a -6.12% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,938 | #19,697 | -4.01% |
| Count | 1,333 | 1,368 | 2.63% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.49 | 0.46 | -6.12% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Abbe
The data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Abbe. The percentage of Abbe's identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander more than doubled from 0.38 in 2000 to 1.02 in 2010, while those identifying as Black jumped from 1.35 to 2.85 over the same period. Identification as American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw an increase from 0.53 to 0.66. Interestingly, the largest demographic, those identifying as White, decreased slightly from 94.75 in 2000 to 92.47 in 2010. Also, there was a small uptick in those identifying as Hispanic from 1.43 to 1.68. Individuals identifying with two or more races showed a slight dip from 1.58 in 2000 to 1.32 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.75% | 92.47% | -2.41% |
| Black | 1.35% | 2.85% | 111.11% |
| Hispanic | 1.43% | 1.68% | 17.48% |
| Two or More Races | 1.58% | 1.32% | -16.46% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.38% | 1.02% | 168.42% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.53% | 0.66% | 24.53% |