Last name: Able

This interesting and long-established surname is of medieval English origin, and derives from the Hebrew male given name "Hevel", traditionally held to derive from the Hebrew "hevel", breath, vigour, used also in the figurative sense "vanity, worthlessness". This name was borne by the son of Adam who was murdered by his brother Cain (Genesis 4:1-8), and was popular throughout Christendom during the Middle Ages (circa 1200 - 1500), when there was a cult of suffering innocence which Abel represented. "Abellus", the Latinized form of the name, is recorded (with surname) in Documents relating to the Danelaw. Leicestershire, dated 1216, and an Abel de Etton', witness, was noted in the 1221 Assize Court Rolls of Warwickshire. The surname first appears on record towards the end of the 12th Century (see below), and further early examples include: Richard Abel (Buckinghamshire, 1273) and Thomas Abelle (Yorkshire, 1301). In the modern idiom the name is variously spelt Abel, Abell, Abele and Able, with patronymic forms including: Abeles, Abelson and Ableson. Abel is also recorded in Scotland from an early date, one Master Abel being noted in Documents concerning the Abbey of Kelso in 1235. Thomas Abel or Abell was burgess of Edinburgh in 1387. A Coat of Arms granted to the family is a silver shield with twelve gold fleurs-de-lis on an azure saltire. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Abel, which was dated 1197, in the "Pipe Rolls of Essex", during the reign of King Richard 1, known as "Richard the Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Visitor Comments

Frederick Gordon Abley.
My family name is Abley, I beleive it was originally Able a "Y" was added generations later.

Ashley
It is very possible. My last name is able. It is strange because there are fair skinned ables and dark skinned. I don't know my family history at all and an trying to find the orgin of my last name some say it is hebrew, French or cherokee or I was at least the first English word they learned

weez
Surname Ables....my father's father's name was Claude Ables. I know nothing about him because he supposedly died when my dad and his sister were toddlers. My dad never believed it. Who knows? I have a picture of him and it is possible that he was part native American. My grandparents my have been married in about 1910.

maria mead{nee-Downing}
My Uncle Robert Abel has 5 children 2boys,His fatherLeo Benedict Abel Was an American soldier based out of Michigan who was stationed in England ,played house had 2kids left when Robert was 6 Yrs.old never to be found again my poor Uncle tried 3 times to go to America to find his Jewish American Dad,unsuccesfully,sorry to say.He carried a picture in his pocket his whole life he looked just like his war vet Father,who by the way started a Family in the States,they don't even know he exists let alone 5 half brother and sisters and many nieces and nephews.I think he died of abroken heart...mended in Heaven...R.I.P.Uncle Rob.Ihope the american Family sees this.My cousins are waiting...