Show ContentsAbramson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the first family to use the name Abramson lived among the Pictish people of ancient Scotland. The name Abramson is derived from the name Abraham. The name means chief (or father) of a multitude and exalted father.

Early Origins of the Abramson family

The surname Abramson 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 Abramson family

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

Abramson Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Abramson has been spelled Abraham, Abram, Abrams, Abrahams and others.

Early Notables of the Abramson family

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

Abramson Ranking

In the United States, the name Abramson is the 5,637th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [2]

Ireland Migration of the Abramson family to Ireland

Some of the Abramson 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.


United States Abramson migration to the United States +

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Abramson:

Abramson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Frances Abramson, who landed in Maryland in 1658 [3]
Abramson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Tobias Abramson, who landed in Mobile County, Ala in 1840 [3]
  • Rudolph Abramson, who arrived in Arkansas in 1879 [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Abramson (post 1700) +

  • H. Norman Abramson (1926-2022), American engineer and scientist, Executive Vice President of the Southwest Research Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, and the manager and principal investigator in several NAE and NRC research projects
  • Norman Manuel Abramson (1932-2020), American engineer and computer scientist, most known for developing the ALOHAnet system for wireless computer communication
  • Lee Abramson (1970-2016), American composer and musician
  • Herbert C. Abramson (1916-1999), American record company executive and producer
  • Jill Ellen Abramson (b. 1954), news managing editor of The New York Times named to become the paper's first female Executive Editor in September 2011
  • Harold Alexander Abramson (1899-1980), American psychiatrist

Triangle Waist Company
  • Miss Clara Abramson, American garment worker who was working at Triangle Waist Company factory at the Asch building in Greenwich Village on the 25th March 1911 when fire broke out; she survived the fire [4]


  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. 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)
  4. Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (retrieved on 3rd August 2021.) Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire


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