Aba (genus)


Aba is a noble kindred of the Kingdom of Hungary. Their ancestors may have been among the tribal leaders of the Kabars. The Gesta Hungarorum mentions that Ede and Edemen, the Abas' ancestors, received land possession around the Mátra Mountains, especially in Gyöngyöspata – Heves County, after the conquest of the Carpathian Basin by the Magyars. The Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum connects the family to Attila the Hun.
Samuel Aba was the most prominent member of the family who became King of Hungary. The gens may have been named after him. Amade Aba is another prominent descendant of the family; he held several castles and possessions on the northern and north-eastern parts of the kingdom in the first decade of the 14th century.
The gens divided into several families in the course of the centuries.
Today there are nineteen noble families that directly descend from the Royal House of Aba, and belong to Clan Aba – “Genus Aba”. They are: Athinai, Báthory of the Clan Aba, Báthory de Gagy, Bertóthy, Budaméry, Csirke, Csobánka, Frichi, Gagyi, Hedry, Keczer, Kompolthi, Laczkffy de Nádasd, Lapispataky, Rhédey, Sirokay, Somosy de Somos, Vendéghy and Vitéz.
Various members of the Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde branch of Genus Aba held many royal offices and acquired many hereditary titles. Among them – Voivod and Princes of Transylvania, Counts of Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde, Hereditary Count Palatines of the Holy Roman Empire, Papal Count Palatines of the Lateran Palace and Countess von Hohenstein.