2000
#43,290
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 470
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Rare Last name
Adeyemi
Crown suits me; a name indicating royalty, power, or high status in the Yoruba culture of West Africa.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,057 Americans carry the last name Adeyemi. That puts it at #15,671 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 166,628 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Adeyemi 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 Adeyemi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 166,628
Census rank
#15,671
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,794 bearers of the surname Adeyemi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15671st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Adeyemi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Hispanic (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Adeyemi
The surname Adeyemi is a Yoruba name that originated in southwestern Nigeria. It is a combination of two words: "Ade" which means "crown" or "royalty," and "Yemi" which means "essence" or "spirit." The name can be translated to mean "the essence of royalty" or "the crown's essence."
The Yoruba people have a rich cultural heritage, and their names often carry significant meaning and symbolism. The name Adeyemi likely emerged during the era of the powerful Oyo Empire, which ruled over a vast territory in present-day southwestern Nigeria and parts of Benin Republic between the 16th and 19th centuries.
Historical records indicate that the name Adeyemi was associated with individuals of noble or royal lineage within the Yoruba society. It was not uncommon for members of the ruling class to bear names that reflected their status and connection to the monarchy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Adeyemi can be found in the writings of Samuel Ajayi Crowther, a Yoruba linguist and the first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria, who lived from 1809 to 1891. Crowther's works provide valuable insights into the Yoruba language and culture, including the significance of names like Adeyemi.
Another notable figure in Yoruba history who bore the surname Adeyemi was Adeyemi Alowolodu, a prominent Yoruba military leader and ruler of the Iwoye Kingdom in the late 18th century. Alowolodu played a crucial role in defending his kingdom against external threats and expanding its influence.
During the 19th century, the name Adeyemi gained further recognition with the rise of Adeyemi Alakija, a wealthy and influential Yoruba entrepreneur who made significant contributions to the economic development of Lagos and its surrounding regions.
In more recent times, the surname Adeyemi has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including academics, artists, and political figures. One such figure is Babatunde Adeyemi, a Nigerian artist and sculptor known for his intricate wood carvings depicting Yoruba mythology and traditions.
It is important to note that while the surname Adeyemi has its roots in the Yoruba culture of southwestern Nigeria, it has since spread to other parts of the country and beyond, as people migrated and families intermingled over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Adeyemi
Among Census respondents with the surname Adeyemi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Hispanic (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Adeyemi 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 Adeyemi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American94.6% · 1,698
- Two or more races1.8% · 33
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 26
- White1.4% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Adeyemi
Adeyemi 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
#26,695
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 912
+442 bearers (+94.0%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Up 16,595 places
2020
#15,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,794
+882 bearers (+96.7%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 11,024 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #43,290 | 470 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #26,695 | 912 | 0.31 | +442 bearers (+94.0%) | Up 16,595 places |
| 2020 | #15,671 | 1,794 | 0.60 | +882 bearers (+96.7%) | Up 11,024 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 Adeyemi 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 | #26,695 | #15,671 | 41.3% |
| Count | 912 | 1,794 | 96.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.31 | 0.60 | 93.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Adeyemi bearers went from 912 to 1,794 (+96.7% change). The surname moved up 11,024 positions in the national ranking, going from #26,695 to #15,671.
FAQ
Adeyemi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Adeyemi?
Name Census estimates that about 2,057 living Americans carry the surname Adeyemi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 166,628 residents.
How common is Adeyemi?
Adeyemi ranks #15,671 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,794 people with the surname Adeyemi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,057), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Adeyemi.
Has Adeyemi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Adeyemi went from 912 recorded bearers to 1,794. That is an increase of 882 (+96.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #26,695 to #15,671.
What does the Census say about the background of Adeyemi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Adeyemi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Hispanic (1.4%). 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 Adeyemi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (1,698 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Adeyemi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (94.6%), Two or More Races (1.8%), Hispanic (1.4%). 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 Adeyemi (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 Adeyemi mean?
Crown suits me; a name indicating royalty, power, or high status in the Yoruba culture of West Africa. 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 Adeyemi (0.60 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 people share the surname Adeyemi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.