Contents [hide]

Abel History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Abel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Scotland

The name Abel was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the given name Hevel, which means evanescence. It is also possibly derived from an Old German word which means noble one. The surname Abel was also a baptismal name meaning the son of Abel, and became a popular 13th century name meaning son.1

There may be a Norman connection of the family too, as there in the Mémoires de la Society des Antiquaires de la Normandie, John de Aubeale was security in Normandy, 1200, for Roger de Plomes. 2

Early Origins of the Abel family

The surname Abel was first found in the counties of Kent, Derbyshire and Essex.

"N. Abel held lands from Lanfranc in Kent 1086 3; and 'Joh' Abel et Consorti Sue' were among the Kentish gentry summoned by a writ of Edward I. in the first year of his reign 'to be present at his and the Queen's coronation at Westminster on the Sunday next after the feast of St. Valentine the Martyr.' " 4

"Abell was also an Essex family, although branches spread into the counties of Kent and Derby." 5

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 elude to the scattered influence of the family at that time, both as a surname and a forename: Richard Abel, Buckinghamshire; Abel le Specer. Derbyshire; Henry Abel, Nottinghamshire; and Allan Abel, Cambridgeshire. 6

Early records of the name mention Abel de Etton, 1221, Wales and William Abell was documented in County Essex in the year of 1197. Richard Abell was documented in the County Somerset, 1300. 1

Scotland was a familiar home to the family too. Abel (d. 764), Archbishop of Rheims, "was a native of Scotland and Benedictine monk. In the early part of the eighth century he left England in company with Boniface, to aid him in his missionary work in Germany, and he did not again return to this country. " 7

Still in Scotland, we found "Master Abell, Clericus Regis, was one of the members of a mission sent to England to ask restoration of the earldom of Huntingdon in 1237. He also appears in documents concerning the Abbey of Kelso in 1235, and in 1253 'valuing his own promotion more than the honour of the king or kingdom caused himself to be consecrated bishop by the pope.' " 8

Early History of the Abel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Abel research. Another 223 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1387, 1388, 1413, 1430, 1512, 1516, 1528, 1540, 1578, 1584, 1623, 1633, 1635, 1655, 1660, 1667, 1675, 1679, 1681, 1696, 1697, 1711, 1714, 1716, 1827, 1854, 1858, 1861, 1887, 1888 and 1902 are included under the topic Early Abel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Abel Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Abell, Abel, Able, Habel, Abeel, Abelson, Abelle, Abele, Ablson, Ebelson, Abill, Abilson, Aball, Abeal, Eblson and many more.

Early Notables of the Abel family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Thomas Abell (d. 1540), Catholic martyr who studied at Oxford and took the degree of M.A. in 1516. "Nothing else is known of his early life, nor when it was that he entered the service of Katharine of...
John Abel (1660?-1716?), was the celebrated Scottish singer during the reign of King Charles II. "He was sworn a 'gentleman of his majesty's chapel extraordinary' 1 May 1679. He was sent to Italy by C...
John Abel (1578-1675), was an English carpenter and mason, "King's Carpenter", born in Sarnesfield, Herefordshire. "He built the old town halls of Hereford and Leominster; the former destroyed in 1861...
William Abell (ca. 1584-1655), was an English vintner who became Master of the Vintners' Company, Sheriff of London. He was associated with a controversy over the manner and terms on which a monopoly...

Abel Ranking

In the United States, the name Abel is the 1,774^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 9 However, in France, the name Abel is ranked the 3,097^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 10

Abel migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Abel name or one of its variants:

Abel Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Abel, who landed in Weymouth, Massachusetts in 1630 11
Stoffel Jansen Abel, who arrived in Long Island in 1664 11
Elizabeth Humphrey Abel, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1694 11

Abel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Maria Abel, who arrived in New York in 1709 11
Johann Adam Abel, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1732 11
Johann Jacob Abel, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 11
Joseph Abel, who landed in Virginia in 1736 11
Christoph Abel, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1738 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Abel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Archibald Abel, who settled in Philadelphia in 1813
Christopher Abel, age 36, who arrived in America in 1820
Johann Abel, aged 20, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1843 11
Casper Abel, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1844 11
Johan Abel, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1848 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Abel migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Abel Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mrs. Mary Abel, British Convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Thomas Abel, (b. 1805), aged 28, English ploughman who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Emperor Alexander"on 6th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
Mr. George Abel, (Reid, James, Clark), Scottish convict who was convicted in Aberdeen, Scotland for 10 years, transported aboard the "Duncan" on 10th December 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
Mr. Joseph Abel, English convict who was convicted in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 9th Mary 1852, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 15

Abel migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Abel Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William Abel, (b. 1837), aged 25, British farm labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 16
Mrs. Jessie Abel, (b. 1839), aged 23, British housemaid travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 16
Mr. William Abel, (b. 1846), aged 25, Scottish farm labourer from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship'Merope' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 25th August 1871 16
Miss Jessie Abel, (b. 1848), aged 23, Scottish housemaid from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship'Merope' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 25th August 1871 16

Contemporary Notables of the name Abel (post 1700) +

Iorwith Wilbur Abel (1908-1987), American labor leader, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Gregory Edward "Greg" Abel (b. 1962), Canadian businessman from Edmonton, Alberta, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Vice-Chairman of non-insurance operations of Berkshire Hathaway
Alan Abel (1928-2020), American percussionist, music educator, and inventor of musical instruments from Hobart, Indiana
John Jacob Abel (1857-1938), American biochemist and pharmacologist, he suggested the idea of the artificial kidney and later he isolated amino acids from the blood in 1914
Walter Charles Abel (b. 1898), American actor and president of the American National Theater Academy
Sir Frederick Augustus Abel (1827-1902), 1st Baronet, English chemist
Edward William Abel CBE (1931-2021), British chemist, President of the Royal Society of Chemistry (1996-1998)
Ms. Anne Patricia Abel B.E.M. (b. 1951), British Superintendent for Harlesden Unit at St John Ambulance, was appointed the British Empire Medal for voluntary service to First Aid Training in London 17
Clarke Abel (1789-1826), British surgeon and naturalist who accompanied Lord Amherst on his mission to China (1816-1817) 18
Clamor Heinrich Abel (1634-1696), German composer, violinist and organist
... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Abel Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Vive le Roi
Motto Translation: Long life to the King.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emperor-alexander
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duncan
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 17 Apr. 2019