Adolphus
Noble wolf, derived from the Germanic elements "adal" meaning "noble" and "wolf" meaning "wolf."
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 480 Americans carry the last name Adolphus. That puts it at #49,824 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 714,072 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Adolphus surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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.
Bearers in the US
480
1 in 714,072
Census rank
#49,824
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
421
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 421 bearers of the surname Adolphus in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 49824th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Adolphus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 74.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.6%) and White (9.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Adolphus
The surname Adolphus is of German origin, emerging in the medieval period. It derives from the Old High German name "Adalholf," composed of the elements "adal," meaning noble, and "holf," meaning helper or brave. The name was initially used as a given name but eventually transitioned into a hereditary surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Adolphus can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, where a nobleman named "Adolphus de Anhalt" is mentioned in the late 12th century. This suggests that the name was already in use as a surname among the aristocracy of the region.
The name Adolphus gained prominence during the reign of the Holy Roman Emperor Adolphus of Nassau, who ruled from 1292 to 1298. His coronation as King of the Romans in 1292 likely contributed to the wider dissemination of the name throughout the German territories.
In England, the surname Adolphus can be traced back to the 16th century, when it was likely introduced by German immigrants or through marriage alliances with German nobility. One notable early bearer of the name was Sir Adolphus Oughton (1536-1599), an English soldier and Member of Parliament.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Adolphus, including:
1. Johann Adolphus (1766-1845), a German theologian and philologist known for his contributions to the study of ancient Greek literature.
2. John Adolphus (1768-1845), an English barrister and historian who wrote biographies of several British monarchs.
3. Adolphus Frederick, Duke of Cambridge (1774-1850), a member of the British royal family and a field marshal in the British Army.
4. Adolphus Busch (1839-1913), a German-American brewer and co-founder of the Anheuser-Busch brewing company.
5. Adolphus Washington Greely (1844-1935), an American Arctic explorer and recipient of the Medal of Honor for his leadership during the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition.
The name Adolphus has also been associated with various place names, such as Adolphtown (now Adultstown) in County Wicklow, Ireland, which was named after Adolphus Oughton, the previously mentioned English soldier and MP.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Adolphus
Among Census respondents with the surname Adolphus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 74.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.6%) and White (9.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Adolphus bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Adolphus surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American74.1%
- Hispanic or Latino11.6%
- White9.3%
- Two or more races3.1%
- Unknown or suppressed1.9%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Adolphus surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #59,611 | #49,824 | 16.4% |
| Count | 317 | 421 | 32.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.14 | 16.7% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Adolphus bearers went from 317 to 421 (+32.8% change). The surname moved up 9,787 positions in the national ranking, going from #59,611 to #49,824.
FAQ
Adolphus surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Adolphus?
The surname Adolphus holds position #49,824 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 480 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Adolphus surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Adolphus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 74.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.6%) and White (9.3%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.