Common European surname: from the personal name Abel,
which is of Biblical origin and was used as a Christian name in many
countries of Europe. In the Book of Genesis Abel is a son of Adam,
murdered by his brother Cain (Genesis 4:1–8). In Christian tradition
he is regarded as representative of suffering innocence. The Hebrew
form of the name is Hevel, from a vocabulary word meaning
‘breath’.
German: from the personal name Abel, a pet
form of Albrecht (see Albert).
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
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