Explore the Family Name Abbey
The meaning of Abbey
English: 1. from Anglo-Norman and Middle English abbeye, abbaye ‘abbey’, i.e. a community of monks under an abbot or of nuns under an abbess (Old French abeie, Late Latin abbatia ‘priest’s house’), applied as a topographic name for someone living in or near an abbey, or an occupational name for someone working in one. 2. (of Norman origin): nickname from Anglo-Norman French abé, abbé ‘priest’. See also French Labbe.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Abbey in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname 'Abbey' has seen a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, this surname ranked 6,281 in popularity and by 2010 it had fallen slightly by 4.66% to rank 6,574. Despite this, the count of people with this surname increased by 3.12% from 4,994 in 2000 to 5,150 in 2010. The proportion per 100k people also decreased from 1.85 to 1.75 during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,281 | #6,574 | -4.66% |
| Count | 4,994 | 5,150 | 3.12% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.85 | 1.75 | -5.41% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Abbey
Turning to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that a majority of individuals with the 'Abbey' surname identify as White, although this percentage has decreased from 87.00% in 2000 to 82.19% in 2010. The second most common ethnicity is Black, which has shown a significant increase from 7.05% in 2000 to 11.20% in 2010. Less prevalent ethnicities include Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaskan Native. The proportion of individuals identifying as Hispanic saw a notable increase of 33.77% over the decade, while those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw minor increases. The proportion of individuals identifying with two or more races slightly decreased during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87% | 82.19% | -5.53% |
| Black | 7.05% | 11.2% | 58.87% |
| Two or More Races | 2.16% | 2.14% | -0.93% |
| Hispanic | 1.54% | 2.06% | 33.77% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.18% | 1.26% | 6.78% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.06% | 1.15% | 8.49% |
Abbey 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 Abbey is British & Irish, which comprises 48.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (27.6%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (4.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 48.2% |
| French & German | 27.6% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 4.4% |
| Other | 19.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Abbey
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 Abbey have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.60% |
What Abbey 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 Abbey is R-CTS2501, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS2501 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and I-M170, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Gordy, Mccown, Bratton, Marler, Isbell, Browning, Council, Dugger, Erskine, Marlow.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Abbey surname are: H1, H, U5a1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Abbey 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.
"Abbey" Surname 35.9%
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.
"Abbey" Surname 15.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Abbey" Surname 17.4%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Abbey" Surname 16.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Abbey?
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 Abbey are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition