Abbott - name meaning, origin

The boy's name Abbott \a-bbo-

is of Old English origin, and its meaning is "father, priest". An abbot is the head of a religious community of monks living in a monastery, so the original bearers of this name (as a surname) may have worked for an abbot. Also, the name may have originated as a teasing nickname for a man with the grave and pious attitude associated with an abbot. Use as a first name occurred mostly in the 19th century. In the 1940s and early 1950s Bud Abbott served as a straight man to short chubby comedian Lou Costello.

Baby names that sound like Abbott are Abda, Abdi and Abid.

Abbott is an uncommon first name for men but a very common last name for both men and women (#463 out of 88799). (1990 U.S. Census)

Displayed below is the baby name popularity trend for the boy name Abbott. Compare Abbott with its variant forms and related boy names.