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

Adams, 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 Adams surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Adams in America

Adams is the 42nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Adams surname appeared 427,865 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 145 people would have the surname Adams.

We can also compare 2010 data for Adams 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 Adams

The surname Adams has its roots in ancient England, where it first emerged in the late 11th century. Derived from the Hebrew name Adam, meaning "son of the red earth," it originally referred to a person with a ruddy complexion or reddish hair.

Adams is believed to have originated as an English patronymic name, a type of surname formed by adding a possessive suffix to the father's given name. In this case, the suffix "-s" was appended to Adam, creating Adams, indicating "son of Adam."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Adams surname appears in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name had already gained recognition by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Adams family established a presence in various regions of England, particularly in counties like Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, and Shropshire. Historical records from this period often feature variations in spelling, such as Adame, Addams, and Addoms, reflecting the fluid nature of surnames in those times.

Notable individuals bearing the Adams surname played significant roles throughout history. One of the earliest recorded was John Adams (c. 1320-1389), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Wiltshire during the reign of Edward III.

The Adams family gained prominence in the American colonies, with several notable figures emerging. Samuel Adams (1722-1803), a Founding Father of the United States, was a prominent figure in the American Revolution and a cousin of the second U.S. President, John Adams (1735-1826).

Another influential Adams was Ansel Adams (1902-1984), an American photographer renowned for his stunning black-and-white landscapes of the American West and his contributions to the art of photography.

Additionally, the Adams surname has been associated with literary figures, such as Douglas Adams (1952-2001), the British author best known for his hugely popular science fiction series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

Throughout history, the Adams name has also been linked to various place names, including the town of Adams in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, established in 1778 and named after the Adams family.

While the surname Adams originated in England, it has since spread across the globe, carried by generations of individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, leaving an indelible mark on the rich tapestry of human history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Adams

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

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

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

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