Abraham
A biblical surname from the Hebrew personal name Abraham, meaning “father of many” or “father of a multitude.”
The #1,120 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 9,863 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname comes from the personal name Abraham, ultimately from the Hebrew name Avraham. In biblical tradition, the name is often explained as meaning “father of many” or “father of a multitude.” As a surname, it usually began as a patronymic: a family name adopted from an ancestor’s given name rather than from a place or occupation.
History
In medieval England, Abraham was a familiar given name, and later surnames such as Abram, Abrams, and Abramson also developed from it. The name was also common among Jewish families and later appears in other European traditions, including French and Dutch records. Some bearers in Britain may reflect direct use of the biblical name, while others come through continental and Jewish naming patterns.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same biblical name produced a whole cluster of surnames, including Abram, Abrams, and Abramson, not just Abraham itself.
From the historical record
“stride] 'Strad(d)ling' was formerly a cant term for an Abraham-man. STRAFFORD, an assim. form of Stratfopd.q.v. STRAHAN (Celt.) i for the Ir. O'Sruthain =”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)