ABBOTT Surname Meaning and Origin

The Abbott surname means abbot or priest, from the Old English abbod or Old French abet, which in turn derive from the Late Latin or Greek abbas, from the Aramaic abba, meaning father. Abbott generally originated as an occupational name for the chief ruler or priest of an abbey, or for someone employed in the household or on the grounds of an abbot (since celibate clergy usually didnt have descendants to carry on the family name). According to a Dictionary of American Family Names it may also have been a nickname bestowed on a sanctimonious person thought to resemble an abbot. The Abbott surname is also common in Scotland, where it may be of English origin, or possibly a translation of MacNab, from the Gaelic Mac an Abbadh, meaning son of the abbott. Surname Origin: English, Scottish Alternate Surname Spellings:  ABBOT, ABBE, ABBIE, ABBOTTS, ABBETT, ABBET, ABIT, ABBIT, ABOTT Where in the World is the ABBOTT Surname Found? The Abbott surname is now most commonly found in Canada, especially in the province of Ontario,  according to WorldNames PublicProfiler. Within the United Kingdom, the name is most common in East Anglia. The name is also fairly common in the U.S. state of Maine.  Forebears surname distribution data places the Abbott surname with the greatest frequency in the former British Caribbean colonies, such as Antigua and Burbuda, where it is the 51st most common last name. It is next most commonly found in England, followed by Australia, Wales, New Zealand and Canada. Famous People with the Last Name ABBOTT Berenice Abbott - American photographer and sculptorGrace Abbott - American social worker best known for her work improving rights of immigrants and advancing child welfareEdith Abbott - American social work pioneer; sister of Grace AbbottSir John Abbott - former prime minister of CanadaJeremy Abbott - U.S. national figure skating championGeorge Abbott - American director, producer and playwrightBud Abbott -  comedian best known for playing the straight man of Abbott and Costello   Genealogy Resources for the Surname ABBOTT Abbott DNA ProjectIndividuals with the Abbott surname or any of its variations are invited to join this Y-DNA surname project of Abbott researchers working to combine traditional family history research with DNA testing to determine common ancestors. The Abbott Family GenealogyThis site compiled and written by Ernest James Abbott collects information on primarily Americans with the Abbott surname, and includes sections on authors, occupations, famous descendants, courses, and Abbotts in the military and ministry. Abbott Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Abbott surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Abbott query. FamilySearch - ABBOTT GenealogyExplore over 1.7 million historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Abbott surname and its variations on the free FamilySearch website, hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ABBOTT Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts a free mailing list for researchers of the Abbott surname around the world. DistantCousin.com - ABBOTT Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Abbott. The Abbott Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the common Abbott last name from the website of Genealogy Today. -- Looking for the meaning of a given name? Check out First Name Meanings -- Cant find your last name listed? Suggest a surname to be added to the Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins. ----------------------- References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back to Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins