Show ContentsAbrahamson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The background history of the name Abrahamson starts in ancient Scotland among the Pictish people. The name Abrahamson is derived from the name Abraham. The name means chief (or father) of a multitude and exalted father.

Early Origins of the Abrahamson family

The surname Abrahamson was first found in Balfeth, in Scotland, in 1163, where Adam Abraham, Bishop of Dunblain, held extensive lands. Further south in Lancashire, the township of Abram was home to another branch of the family. "This township was originally called Adburgham, and afterwards Abraham, and gave name to an ancient family of landowners, of whom Gilbert de Abram and John Abraham are mentioned in the reigns of Henry IV. and Henry V. There are some ancient seats, among which is Abram Hall, a moated brick mansion existing since the time of Henry VI." 1

Early History of the Abrahamson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Abrahamson research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1672, 1689 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Abrahamson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Abrahamson Spelling Variations

Prior to the invention of the printing press in the last hundred years, documents were basically unique. Names were written according to sound, and often appeared differently each time they were recorded. Spelling variations of the name Abrahamson include Abraham, Abram, Abrams, Abrahams and others.

Early Notables of the Abrahamson family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Abrahamson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Abrahamson Ranking

In the United States, the name Abrahamson is the 10,821st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Ireland Migration of the Abrahamson family to Ireland

Some of the Abrahamson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


New Zealand Abrahamson 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:

Abrahamson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Emilie H. Abrahamson, (b. 1845), aged 27, Scandinavian maid servant travelling from Hamburg aboard the ship "Palmerston" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 12th December 1872 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Abrahamson (post 1700) +

  • Shirley Schlanger Abrahamson (1933-2020), American jurist, the 25th Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court (1996-2015)
  • Kjell Albin Abrahamson (1945-2016), Swedish journalist and author


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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