Abell
A surname that usually comes from the biblical given name Abel, meaning “breath” or “vanity” in Hebrew tradition.
The #4,811 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 42,069 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Abell is generally an English surname built from the personal name Abel, with the -l spelling reflecting a common medieval and early modern variant. The given name Abel comes from Hebrew Hevel, traditionally understood as “breath,” “vapor,” or “vanity.” Some 19th-century surname writers also connected English Abell with continental forms of Abel, but the basic idea is the same: it began as a name identifying someone as “Abel’s son” or simply as a bearer of the given name Abel.
History
The name is well attested in medieval England and appears in early records in forms such as Abel, Abell, and Ableson. Later surname dictionaries note that it remained in use, though it became less common as a given name by the 19th century. The spelling Abell is also found in continental and Anglo-Norman-linked records, so in some families it may reflect more than one pathway into English use.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A form of Abell was recorded in connection with Battle Abbey among early English surname mentions, showing how old the name is in documentary history.
From the historical record
“Abbinett.— Bapt 'the son of Abraham,' or 'Abell,' q.v,, from the nick. Abb. with double dim. Abb-in-ei:cf, Robinetand Colinet. AbblM.— BapL; v. Abbs, c”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances