Abernathy Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Abernathy last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Abernathy last name
Meaning of the Abernathy last name: mouth of the Nethy. Abernathy is a Scottish surname from Abernethy in Perthshire, from Brittonic aber, "confluence", and the River Nethy. The Abernethy family were hereditary lay abbots there. The last name spread to Ulster and to the American South, where it is now common.
Arms associated with the Abernathy name
In Scottish heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Abernathy name are personal, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Abernathy family history
This is only a glimpse of the Abernathy story. The full Abernathy history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Abernathy coat of arms. Get the full Abernathy report.
Abernathy name FAQ
What does the Abernathy name mean?
mouth of the Nethy. Common variants include Abernethy, Abernethie.
Where does the Abernathy surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada, Australia and Northern Ireland.
Is there a Abernathy coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Abernathy coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).