Explore the Family Name Adam
The meaning of Adam
1. English, Scottish, German, French, Walloon, Breton, Dutch, Flemish, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, Croatian, and Assyrian/Chaldean; Hungarian (Ádám): from the Biblical personal name Adam, which was borne, according to Genesis, by the first man. It is the generic Hebrew term for ‘man’, which is probably a derivative of Hebrew adama ‘earth’ (compare the classical Greek legend that Zeus fashioned the first human beings from earth). Adam was very popular as a personal name among non-Jews throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. Jews, however, did not use this personal name, except in recent times under Polish and English influence. 2. Spanish: variant of Adán ‘Adam’ (see Adan). 3. Muslim: from the personal name Ādam, Arabic variant of Adam. Compare Adem. 4. American shortened form of Scottish and Irish McAdam and also of cognates from other languages (see examples 5 below and at Adams). 5. American shortened (and altered) form of Armenian Atamian or Adamian. Some characteristic forenames: German Erwin, Hans, Klaus, Helmut, Kurt, Gerhard, Gunter, Heinz, Reinhold, Claus, Detlef, Dietmar.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Adam in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname 'Adam' has seen a rise in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 2704th most popular, but by 2010 it moved up to being the 2654th most popular name, reflecting an increase of 1.85%. The count of individuals with this surname also increased from 12,209 in 2000 to 13,574 in 2010, marking a significant 11.18% increase. The proportion of people bearing this surname per 100,000 U.S. residents slightly rose from 4.53 to 4.6 during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,704 | #2,654 | 1.85% |
| Count | 12,209 | 13,574 | 11.18% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.53 | 4.6 | 1.55% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Adam
In terms of ethnicity, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, changes were observed between 2000 and 2010. The largest shifts took place within the Black and Asian/Pacific Islander communities, with the percentage of Adams identifying as Black increasing by 60.47% and those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander growing by 35.38%. However, there was a decrease in the percentage of Adams identifying as White (from 78.89% to 72.58%) and those identifying with two or more races (2.97% down to 1.93%). Hispanic representation remained stable at 4.46%, while American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased slightly by 2.33%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 78.89% | 72.58% | -8% |
| Black | 10.65% | 17.09% | 60.47% |
| Hispanic | 4.46% | 4.46% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.6% | 3.52% | 35.38% |
| Two or More Races | 2.97% | 1.93% | -35.02% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.43% | 0.42% | -2.33% |
Adam ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Adam is British & Irish, which comprises 30.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (28.1%) and Eastern European (6.8%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 30.3% |
| French & German | 28.1% |
| Eastern European | 6.8% |
| Other | 34.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Adam
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Adam have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 57.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 57.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 57.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 57.40% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 57.10% |
What Adam haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Adam is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include E-V13 and J-L26, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Schneider, Hoffman, Nicholas, Klein, Meyers, Marino, Schmidt, David, Wagner, Walter.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Adam surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Adam have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Adam" Surname 43.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Adam" Surname 36.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Adam" Surname 20.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Adam" Surname 15.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Adam?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Adam are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition