UK surname

Abdou

Derived from the Arabic name Abdul, meaning "servant of" or "slave of," often followed by one of Allah's names.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Tyneside, Stratford-on-Avon and Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Abdou is 101 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

2010

101 bearers

Map years

2016 to 2016

Key insights

• The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
• The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Map

Abdou surname distribution map

The map shows where the Abdou surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Abdou surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Year

Loading map

Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Abdou over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year	Period	Count	Rank
1997	modern	38	#33,872
1998	modern	39	#33,967
1999	modern	39	#34,058
2000	modern	44	#33,602
2001	modern	44	#33,490
2002	modern	55	#32,831
2003	modern	52	#33,160
2004	modern	58	#32,880
2005	modern	60	#32,917
2006	modern	62	#33,043
2007	modern	69	#32,662
2008	modern	77	#32,181
2009	modern	90	#31,094
2010	modern	101	#30,078
2011	modern	88	#31,801
2012	modern	88	#32,064
2013	modern	92	#31,909
2014	modern	97	#31,518
2015	modern	94	#31,872
2016	modern	101	#30,929

Geography

Where Abdous are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Tyneside, Stratford-on-Avon, Swansea, Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank	Parish	Area
1	No data	No data

Top modern areas

Rank	Area	District
1	South Tyneside 002	South Tyneside
2	Stratford-on-Avon 001	Stratford-on-Avon
3	Swansea 025	Swansea
4	Westminster 009	Westminster
5	Kensington and Chelsea 009	Kensington and Chelsea

Forenames

First names often paired with Abdou

These lists show first names that appear often with the Abdou surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Recent female names

Michelle Mary Amina Sonja Sylvia Nicola Leila Jennifer Mariama Nashwa

Recent male names

Ahmed Mohamed John Brian Mohammed Michael Hussein Abdullah Jacques Eissa

Modern profile

Neighbourhood profile for Abdou

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Abdou, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Abdou surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Abdou household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Abdou is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Abdou is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Abdou falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Abdou is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate: Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Abdou, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Origin

Meaning and origin of Abdou

The surname ABDOU is believed to have originated in North Africa, specifically in the Maghreb region which includes modern-day countries like Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. It is derived from the Arabic name "Abdullah" which translates to "servant of God" or "servant of Allah." This name has its roots in the Islamic tradition and culture that spread across the region during the 7th century.

ABDOU is a romanized version of the Arabic name عبدو (Abdu), which is a shortened form of عبد الله (Abdullah). The earliest known references to the name can be found in medieval Arabic manuscripts and records from the region. It is believed that the name gained widespread popularity during the time of the Islamic Golden Age, when the Maghreb was a center of learning, culture, and trade.

One of the earliest known historical figures with the surname ABDOU was Abu Bakr ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Abdawi, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in the 9th century CE in what is now modern-day Tunisia. Another notable figure was Ibn Abdoun, an Andalusian poet and philosopher from the 11th century who hailed from the city of Evora, which was then part of the Moorish territory in the Iberian Peninsula.

In the 12th century, there are records of a family named ABDOU residing in the city of Fez, Morocco. This family was known for their expertise in the textile trade and played an important role in the city's economic and cultural life. During this period, the name ABDOU also appeared in various Moroccan chronicles and historical texts.

As the Islamic influence spread across the Mediterranean, the name ABDOU also found its way into other regions, such as Sicily and parts of Southern Italy. One notable figure from this region was Abdou al-Siciliano, a 13th-century poet and scholar who was born in Palermo and wrote extensively in Arabic and Sicilian Arabic dialects.

In more recent times, the surname ABDOU has been carried by notable individuals such as Abdou Diouf, who served as the President of Senegal from 1981 to 2000, and Abdou Filali-Ansari, a Moroccan diplomat and author who was the Director of the Royal Institute for Research on the History of Morocco.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Abdou surname: questions and answers

How common is the Abdou surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Abdou a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Abdou surname mean?