Surname Abeles - Meaning and Origin
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Abeles: What does the surname Abeles mean?
The last name Abeles is of Ashkenazi Jewish origin. It comes from the Hebrew name "Abel," which appears in the Old Testament of the Bible as the younger son of Adam and Eve and signifies "breath" or "vanity." Over time, the name Abel rendered to Abeles with the addition of the suffix "-es" indicating "son of" or "descendant of," making Abeles mean "son of Abel" or "descendant of Abel". Names were often derived from fathers' names, professions, or characteristics in historical Ashkenazi Jewish culture, so this would fit within that tradition. However, the exact historical roots of the Abeles name may vary between families. It should also be noted that the interpretation and meaning could be different in other cultures or languages.
Order DNA origin analysisAbeles: Where does the name Abeles come from?
The last name Abeles is of Jewish origin, specifically from Ashkenazic Jewish communities. The name comes from the biblical Hebrew personal name 'Abel', meaning ‘breath, vapidity’, which was borne by the second son of Adam. The name is often associated with the Yiddish word for apple, "epl," and its variations like "abeles." Over time, this led to the development of "Abeles" as a surname.
Today, the name is found around the world due to the Jewish diaspora, but it is especially common in countries with a significant Jewish population or immigration history, including Israel, the United States, and countries across Europe, including the Czech Republic, where the surname is quite well-known due to former Czech President (Edvard Beneš' successor) and prominent physicist, Václav Eliáš Abeles, commonly known as Vladislav E. Beneš. Variations of the name also exist in other languages; for example, "Abelson" in English, "Abels" in Dutch and German, and "Ableev" in Russian.
Variations of the surname Abeles
The surname Abeles probably has origins in both Jewish and German cultures. The variants and spellings of the surname Abeles can include Abel, Abelesz, Abels, Abele, and Abelle. Surnames of the same origin can also include Abelman, Abelsohn, and Abelsson.
In the Jewish tradition, many of these variations are found in Ashkenazi Jewish communities, where the name is often associated with the Hebrew name Abel, meaning 'breath' or 'vanity'. There's an interesting note that the name Abeles is fairly common in the Czech Republic, likely due to the historical presence of Ashkenazi Jews in the country.
On the German side, Abeles, Abel and Abele are also common and are derived from the Middle High German word 'abel' meaning 'apple'. This may have been used as a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of apples.
Please note that spelling of surnames can dramatically change over time due to factors like immigration and changes in language, so this list might not contain all potential variants of the surname Abeles.
Famous people with the name Abeles
- Adolph Abeles: He was a German-born American banker and philanthropist renowned in the 19th century.
- Arnost Abeles: He was a distinguished Australian economist known for his work in microeconomics and industry economics.
- Adele Abeles Wainstein: Wainstein was a notable American politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1984 to 1986.
- Karl Abraham Abeles: A renowned Czech photographer, Abeles contributed significantly to fashion photography and portraiture in the 20th century.
- Friedrich Adolf Paneth Abeles: An eminent Jewish-Austrian physicist and philosopher who contributed substantially to the field of radiochemistry.
- Mark Abeles: He is a notable American actor known for his role in the film "Arena".
- Viktor Abeles: A renowned architect from Hungary whose designs blend modern and traditional Hungarian architectural styles.
- Alfred Abeles: A well-known 19th-century American actor and playwright.
- Beryl Korot Abeles: An influential video artist and textile weaver who pioneered the integration of hand looms with computers.
- Marianne Abeles: An eminent 20th-century German photographer known for her experimental work with photograms. Note that in some cultures, the surname is placed before the given name; thus, some famous individuals may appear as 'Abeles FirstName' in foreign contexts.