# Adam (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/adam/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

An English surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Latin |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 13,574 |
| US rank (2010) | 2,654 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 22,745 people |
| Change since 2000 | +11% (12,209 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈædəm/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Adams |

## Etymology

From Middle English Adam, from Old English Adam, from Latin Adam, Adamus, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), Ἄδαμος (Ádamos), from Biblical Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”), from אדמה (adamah, “red earth, ground”).

## Who carries it

Share of people named Adam in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 73% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 17% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.5% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 3.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 1.9% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Adam in the United States, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Israel, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Belgium.

## People named Adam

- Gordon Adam, American rower (1915–1992)
- Omer Adam, American-Israeli singer
- Margie Adam, American pop musician
- Frederick Adam, British Army general (1781 or 1784-1781)
- John Adam, British colonial governor of India (1779-1825)
- Ronald Forbes Adam, British Army general (1885–1982)
- Abdulfattah Adam, association football player
- William Adam, Belgian malacologist (1909–1988)
- William Adam, British advocate, barrister, politician and judge (1751-1839)

## Similar surnames

Adame, Adamo, Adan, Aden, Auten, Aten.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.