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

Adama, 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 Adama surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Adama in America

Adama is the 104602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Adama surname appeared 171 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Adama.

We can also compare 2010 data for Adama 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 Adama

The surname Adama has its origins in West Africa, specifically in the region now known as Mali. It first appeared in written records during the 13th century, when the Mali Empire was at its peak. The name is believed to be derived from the Bambara language, which was spoken by the Mandinka ethnic group that ruled the empire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Adama can be found in the writings of Ibn Battuta, a famous Moroccan explorer who visited the Mali Empire in the 14th century. He mentioned a prominent official named Adama Nkrumah, who served as an advisor to the emperor Mansa Musa.

The name Adama also appears in several ancient manuscripts and chronicles from the region, including the Tarikh al-Fattash and the Tarikh al-Sudan. These documents provide valuable insights into the cultural and historical significance of the name during the medieval period.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Adama Diallo was a renowned scholar and writer from the Timbuktu region. He authored several works on Islamic jurisprudence and philosophy, which were widely circulated across West Africa and the Sahara.

The 18th century saw the rise of Adama Ba, a prominent military leader and adviser to the Almami Samori Touré, who led a resistance movement against French colonial rule in the late 19th century. Adama Ba played a crucial role in organizing and strategizing the resistance efforts.

Another notable bearer of the name was Adama Traoré, a Malian politician and diplomat who served as the country's first ambassador to the United Nations after gaining independence from France in 1960. He was born in 1915 and played a pivotal role in shaping Mali's foreign policy during the early years of independence.

The name Adama has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations in West Africa. For example, the town of Adamawa in present-day Cameroon is believed to have derived its name from the Adama people who inhabited the region.

While the surname Adama originated in West Africa, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its historical roots and significance remain deeply embedded in the rich cultural heritage of the Mali Empire and the broader West African region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Adama

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

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 Adama 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 Adama 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 Adama was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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