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

Adolph, 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 Adolph surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Adolph in America

Adolph is the 15600th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Adolph surname appeared 1,874 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Adolph.

We can also compare 2010 data for Adolph 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 Adolph

The surname Adolph originated in Germany, with records tracing it back to the Middle Ages. It is a Germanic name derived from the Old High German words "adal," meaning noble, and "wolf," meaning wolf. The name was likely given to someone of noble birth or character who displayed wolf-like traits such as strength, loyalty, and fierceness.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a medieval manuscript from the 9th century, which mentions an individual named Adolph von Verden. In the 11th century, the Domesday Book, a survey of land and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, also contains references to individuals with the surname Adolph.

During the medieval period, the name Adolph was also associated with various place names in Germany, such as Adolfsdorf and Adolfshausen, which may have contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname. The earliest known spelling variations of the name include Adolphi, Adolphus, and Adolfus.

Several notable historical figures have borne the surname Adolph. One of the most prominent was Adolph I, Count of Holstein (c. 1223-1238), a powerful medieval ruler who played a significant role in the politics of Northern Germany during the 13th century. Another was Adolph II, Duke of Cleves (1458-1528), a German nobleman and military leader who fought in the Guelders Wars.

In the 16th century, Adolph Occo (1501-1572), a German scholar and diplomat, gained recognition for his contributions to the study of numismatics and his service as an ambassador for Emperor Charles V. Adolph Menzel (1815-1905), a German artist renowned for his realistic paintings and illustrations, was also a notable figure bearing the surname.

Adolph Kolping (1813-1865), a German Catholic priest and social reformer, is remembered for his efforts to improve the living conditions of workers and establish organizations to support their education and well-being.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Adolph

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

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

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

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