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

Adu, 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 Adu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Adu in America

Adu is the 28940th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Adu surname appeared 821 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Adu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Adu 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 Adu

The surname Adu is believed to have originated in West Africa, specifically in the regions of Ghana and Togo. It is thought to have derived from the Akan language, where "Adu" means "tree" or "palm tree." The name is commonly found among the Akan people, who make up the largest ethnic group in Ghana.

In the late 17th century, records from the British colony of the Gold Coast (modern-day Ghana) mention individuals with the surname Adu. These early records suggest that the name was already well-established among the local population at that time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Adu can be found in the diary of a Dutch trader, Jan Nieser, who visited the Gold Coast in 1701. Nieser documented his interactions with a local chief named Kwame Adu, indicating that the name was prevalent in the region during that period.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, as the transatlantic slave trade brought many Africans to the Americas, the surname Adu was carried across the Atlantic. Notable individuals bearing this name include Quobna Ottobah Cugoano, a Ghanaian abolitionist and author, who was born around 1757 and wrote a influential book titled "Thoughts and Sentiments on the Evil of Slavery."

Another notable figure was Samuel Adu, a Ghanaian educator and writer who lived from 1884 to 1958. He played a significant role in promoting education and literacy in Ghana during the early 20th century.

In the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Adu was Kofi Adu, a Ghanaian diplomat and politician who served as the first African Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006.

Other notable individuals with the surname Adu include Asamoah Adu, a Ghanaian football player who played for several European clubs in the 1980s and 1990s, and Mensa Adu, a Ghanaian musician and composer who was active in the mid-20th century and helped popularize the highlife genre.

Overall, the surname Adu has a rich history rooted in West African cultures, particularly among the Akan people of Ghana and Togo. Its meaning and origins can be traced back to the Akan language, and it has been carried across the globe by individuals of African descent, leaving a lasting mark on various cultural and historical contexts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Adu

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

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

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

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