Find out how popular the last name Adam is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Adam.

Adam, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Adam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Adam in America

Adam is the 2654th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Adam surname appeared 13,574 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Adam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Adam to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Adam

The surname Adam originated in England and is believed to have been derived from the given name Adam, which has Hebrew roots meaning "man" or "earth." The earliest recorded use of the surname can be traced back to the late 12th century in Norfolk, England.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Adam can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a Walter Adam is mentioned. The name also appeared in the Curia Regis Rolls of Berkshire in 1208, with a record of a William Adam.

The surname Adam is thought to have been initially used as a descriptive name, referring to the first man in the biblical story of creation. Over time, it evolved into a hereditary surname passed down from generation to generation.

In the 13th century, the surname Adam was found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, where a John Adam was recorded in the Yorkshire Assize Rolls of 1219. The name was also present in Oxfordshire, with a record of a Roger Adam in the Oxfordshire Hundred Rolls of 1273.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Adam was Sir John Adam, a Scottish knight who lived in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. He fought alongside William Wallace during the Scottish Wars of Independence against England.

Another notable figure was Clement Adam, a 16th-century English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Magdalen College, Oxford, from 1512 to 1520.

In the 17th century, Robert Adam, a Scottish architect and designer, made significant contributions to the neoclassical style. He was born in 1728 and is best known for his work on buildings such as the Adelphi Terrace in London and the University of Edinburgh's Old College.

The 18th century saw the rise of John Adam, a Scottish philosopher and author who lived from 1728 to 1792. He is known for his works on moral philosophy and political economy.

In the 19th century, Juliette Adam, a French writer and feminist, made her mark. Born in 1836, she founded the influential magazine La Nouvelle Revue and advocated for women's rights and education.

Throughout history, the surname Adam has been found in various spellings, including Adame, Adem, and Adeyn, reflecting regional variations and linguistic influences. However, the modern spelling of Adam has become the most commonly recognized form.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Adam

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Adam.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Adam was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Adam has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Adam was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Adam, please contact us.

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