Explore the Family Name Adolphus

The meaning of Adolphus

English, German, African American, Guyanese, and African (mainly Nigeria): from the personal name Adolphus, Latinized form of ancient Germanic name Adolf, or a Latinized (humanistic) form of the same surname. The surname Adolphus is virtually non-existing in Germany.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Adolphus in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Adolphus has seen a significant rise over the decade from 2000 to 2010. The rank of this surname jumped from 59,611 in 2000 to 49,824 in 2010, reflecting an increase of 16.42%. In terms of actual counts, the number of people bearing the surname Adolphus increased by 32.81%, going up from 317 in 2000 to 421 in 2010. Moreover, the proportion of the population with this surname per 100k also saw a growth of 16.67% during this period.

20002010Change
Rank#59,611#49,82416.42%
Count31742132.81%
Proportion per 100k0.120.1416.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Adolphus

When it comes to the ethnic identity associated with the surname Adolphus, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. While the percentage of those identifying as Black with the surname Adolphus grew by 5.34%, reaching 74.11% in 2010, the percentage of those identifying as two or more races dropped significantly by 62.32%, settling at 3.09% in 2010. During this period, the percentage of individuals with this surname identifying as White declined slightly by 8.23%, while the Hispanic representation saw a small increase of 2.46%. No individuals identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in both census years.

20002010Change
Black70.35%74.11%5.34%
Hispanic11.36%11.64%2.46%
White10.09%9.26%-8.23%
Two or More Races8.2%3.09%-62.32%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%