Last Names

Surnames / A

Abernathy

How common is the last name Abernathy?

About this name

We do not yet have a written origin for Abernathy, so here is what the census records show.

Surname origins are rarely settled, and we would rather say nothing than guess. The sources below are the best places to look, and our guide to how surnames began explains the usual types.

Similar spellings

Names nearby in the census

#2,216

Abernathy was the 2,216th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 16,450 people, about 5.3 in every 100,000.

Who carries it

  • White (non-Hispanic)78.4%
  • Hispanic or Latino2.2%
  • Black (non-Hispanic)16.4%
  • Asian or Pacific Islander0.4%
  • Two or more races2.0%
  • American Indian or Alaska Native0.6%

Check the sources

For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.