This most interesting and unusual surname is a variant of 'Abbs, itself a nickname patronymic form of the popular 'Abel' introduced by returning Crusaders from the Holy Land. 'Abel' itself derives from the Hebrew given name 'Hevel' meaning 'breath or vigour'. The personal name 'Abel' (Hevel) was borne by the son of Adam, who was murdered by his brother Cain. It was very popular as a given name in Christendom during the Middle Ages, when there was a cult of 'suffering innocence' which Abel represented.
For reasons unclear the surname was widespread in East Anglia, and is well represented in its various forms in the registers of the area. The surname is now found as Abbs, Abbis, Abbiss, Abbys, Abbes, Abson, Abbison etc, and all may be patronymic (Son of Abb). Early examples of the surname recordings include the marriage of Jane Abbis and Robert Lawter, at Covehithe in Suffolk, on October 28th 1611, and Henry Abbys christened at St Andrews church, Enfield, Middlesex, on February 13th 1619. Other recordings include the christening of James, son of Robert and Jane Abbiss, on February 2nd 1690, at St. Mary Woolnoth, London, and the marriage of William Abbes and Sarah Page, at Great Yarmouth, on August 25th 1724. A notable namebearer was William Abbys, who was mayor of the town of Bedford in 1534. The coat of arms granted in Norfolk, has the blazon of a red field, a fesse lozengy between three silver escallop, the latter being the sign of the pilgrim. The crest is a spur proper. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Abbys, which was dated 1379, in the poll tax rolls of Yorkshire, during the reign of King Richard 11, known as 'Richard of Bordeaux' 1377 - 1399. 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.
Research into the possible origins of abbys leads us to learn more about those who bear this surname.
There is a considerable probability that abbys has crossed the borders of its place of origin to establish itself, to a greater or lesser extent, in other parts of the world. With all the information we have today, it can be said that the countries where abbys is most abundant are the following.
The deeds, the way of life, the places they lived, the family relationships they had, the jobs they held by those who were the first to be named abbys are found in every look back in the history of this lineage.
It is common for genealogy and surname enthusiasts to provide us with information of special value, so the data we offer about the origins of abbys could be modified.
We assume that there have been significant contributions to humanity made by individuals with the surname abbys, even though not all have been documented to our present day.
The bibliography collects information related to the surname abbys, which allows us to learn more about its meaning.
These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of abbys, and at the same time, of surnames in general.