# Abel (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/abel/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Latin |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 18,464 |
| US rank (2010) | 1,958 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 16,721 people |
| Change since 2000 | +1.2% (18,243 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪ.bl̩/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From Middle English Abel, from Old English Ābel, from Latin Abel, from Ancient Greek Ἅβελ (Hábel), from Biblical Hebrew הֶבֶל (Héḇel, “Abel”), possibly from the homonymous word הֶבֶל (heḇel, “breath, vapor; vanity”) or from Akkadian 𒌉𒍑 (ablu, “son”).

## Who carries it

Share of people named Abel in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 88% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 4.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.3% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
| Two or more races | 1.7% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Abel in the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Austrian Empire, Kingdom of Bavaria and Angola.

## People named Abel

- Jake Abel, American television actor
- Frederick Abel, British chemist 1827-1902
- John Jacob Abel, American biochemist and pharmacologist (1857–1938)
- Edmilson Carlos Abel, Brazilian association football player
- Hazel Abel, American politician (1888-1966)
- Walter Abel, American actor (1898-1987)
- Josef Abel, Austrian painter, etcher (1764–1818)
- Zachary Abel, American television actor
- Ramon Abatti Abel, Brazilian football referee
- Karl von Abel, Bavarian statesman (1788-1859)
- Alan Abel, American percussionist (1928-2020)
- Alan Abel, (1924-2018) American prankster

and 3 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Abell, Able, Abella, Abila, Abele, Abello, Abela, Apel, Avila, Appel, Apple, Avilla.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.