Explore the Family Name Abu
The meaning of Abu
1. Muslim: abstracted as a surname from Arabic abū ‘father’, a common component of traditional Muslim names. It is used to form the kunya (a type of name meaning ‘father of’, such as Abū-Bakr, literally ‘father of the Young Camel’; see Abubakr) in combination with the name of a man’s child, usually his firstborn son (or hoped-for firstborn). In traditional Muslim society, a man is generally known and addressed by his kunya, rather than by his ism (his personal name), the use of which can seem unduly familiar. A kunya may also be used to form a nickname, as in the case of Abū-Turāb ʿAlī ‘Alī, father of dust’, the kunya of caliph Ali, conferred on him by the prophet Muhammad. — Note: It is possible that in some cases this is counted as an independent surname only in the population figure published by the US Census Bureau. 2. Muslim and Jewish (Sephardic, from the Maghreb): from the Arabic male personal name ʿAbbū, a pet form of any of the many names beginning with ʿAbd ‘servant’. 3. West African (Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Nigeria): probably of Arabic origin (see 1 and 2 above). Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Abu, Ahmad, Hassan, Mohamed, Mohammed, Muhamad, Safi, Salah, Saleh, Talib, Usman, Walid. Jewish Hayim, Shimon.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Abu in the United States?
According to data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Abu" has significantly grown in the United States between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked at 51,119, but by 2010, it had advanced to a position of 33,036 on the list. This represents an upward shift of 35.37%. The count of individuals with this surname also increased dramatically during this decade, rising from 383 to 693, an impressive growth rate of nearly 81%. The proportion of people named Abu per 100,000 also rose by over 64%, indicating a marked increase in the use of this surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #51,119 | #33,036 | 35.37% |
| Count | 383 | 693 | 80.94% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.14 | 0.23 | 64.29% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Abu
The ethnic identity associated with the surname "Abu" also saw significant shifts between 2000 and 2010, as shown by data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of individuals with this surname identifying as Black increased by almost 24%, reaching 72.01% in 2010. The proportion of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased slightly, from 12.53% to 13.71%. However, the proportions of those identifying with two or more races, White, and Hispanic decreased substantially. Those identifying with two or more races dropped from 12.53% to just 1.3%, while those identifying as White and Hispanic decreased by 5.08% and 66.17% respectively. There was no change in the percentage identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 58.22% | 72.01% | 23.69% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 12.53% | 13.71% | 9.42% |
| White | 12.01% | 11.4% | -5.08% |
| Hispanic | 4.7% | 1.59% | -66.17% |
| Two or More Races | 12.53% | 1.3% | -89.62% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |