2000
#11,476
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,517
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Adan
A Spanish surname derived from the given name Adam, which originated from the Hebrew name meaning "man" or "mankind."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,739 Americans carry the last name Adan. That puts it at #7,721 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,326 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Adan surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Adan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 72,326
Census rank
#7,721
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,133 bearers of the surname Adan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7721st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Adan, the largest self-reported group is Black at 50.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (38.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Adan
The surname ADAN has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Spain and Portugal. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, when these areas were under the influence of Arabic culture due to the Moorish conquest.
The name ADAN is derived from the Arabic name "Adan," which itself is a variation of the Hebrew name "Adán," meaning "of the earth" or "earthly." This connection suggests that the surname may have been initially adopted by individuals of Arabic or Semitic descent who lived in the Iberian region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname ADAN can be found in the "Libro de las Behetrías" (Book of Landholdings), a 14th-century Castilian document that cataloged land tenure and ownership. This document mentions several individuals bearing the surname ADAN, indicating that the name was already well-established by that time.
Throughout the centuries, the surname ADAN has been associated with numerous notable figures. One of the earliest was Álvaro Núñez de Adan, a 13th-century nobleman from the Kingdom of León. Another prominent individual was Juan de Adan, a 15th-century Catholic bishop and diplomat who served as the ambassador of the Catholic Monarchs to the Holy See.
In the realm of literature, the surname ADAN is perhaps most famously associated with Martín de Adan, a 16th-century Spanish poet and playwright. His works, such as the pastoral drama "El Cortesano" (The Courtier), are considered important examples of Renaissance literature in Spain.
Moving forward in time, one cannot overlook the contributions of Enrique Adan y Ricart (1834-1922), a Spanish painter and engraver renowned for his landscapes and portraits. His works are part of the collections of several prestigious museums, including the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
Another notable figure was José María Adan de Yarza (1904-1993), a Spanish architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the reconstruction and urban development of various cities in Spain during the mid-20th century.
While the surname ADAN has deep roots in the Iberian Peninsula, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. Individuals bearing this surname can be found in various countries, particularly those with strong historical ties to Spain and Portugal, such as Latin American nations and former Spanish colonies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Adan
Among Census respondents with the surname Adan, the largest self-reported group is Black at 50.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (38.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Adan bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Adan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American50.4% · 2,085
- Hispanic or Latino38.4% · 1,586
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.3% · 220
- White5.1% · 211
- Two or more races0.6% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Adan
Adan appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,564
+1,047 bearers (+41.6%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Up 2,321 places
2020
#7,721
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,133
+569 bearers (+16.0%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Up 1,434 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,476 | 2,517 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,155 | 3,564 | 1.21 | +1,047 bearers (+41.6%) | Up 2,321 places |
| 2020 | #7,721 | 4,133 | 1.38 | +569 bearers (+16.0%) | Up 1,434 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Adan surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,155 | #7,721 | 15.7% |
| Count | 3,564 | 4,133 | 16.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.38 | 14.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Adan bearers went from 3,564 to 4,133 (+16.0% change). The surname moved up 1,434 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,155 to #7,721.
FAQ
Adan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Adan?
Name Census estimates that about 4,739 living Americans carry the surname Adan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,326 residents.
How common is Adan?
Adan ranks #7,721 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,133 people with the surname Adan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,739), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Adan.
Has Adan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Adan went from 3,564 recorded bearers to 4,133. That is an increase of 569 (+16.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,155 to #7,721.
What does the Census say about the background of Adan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Adan, the largest self-reported group is Black at 50.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (38.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Adan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.4% (2,085 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Adan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (50.4%), Hispanic (38.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Adan (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Adan mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the given name Adam, which originated from the Hebrew name meaning "man" or "mankind." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Adan (1.38 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Adan?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.