2000
#39
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 413,086
First available Census row
Per 100,000 153.13
Common Last name
Adams
An English patronymic surname meaning "son of Adam," derived from the Biblical figure Adam, the first man.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 474,137 Americans carry the last name Adams. That puts it at #43 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 138.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 723 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Adams surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Adams with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
474K
1 in 723
Census rank
#43
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
138.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
413K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 413,470 bearers of the surname Adams in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 138.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 43rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Adams, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.1%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Adams
The surname Adams has its roots in ancient England, where it first emerged in the late 11th century. Derived from the Hebrew name Adam, meaning "son of the red earth," it originally referred to a person with a ruddy complexion or reddish hair.
Adams is believed to have originated as an English patronymic name, a type of surname formed by adding a possessive suffix to the father's given name. In this case, the suffix "-s" was appended to Adam, creating Adams, indicating "son of Adam."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Adams surname appears in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name had already gained recognition by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the Adams family established a presence in various regions of England, particularly in counties like Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, and Shropshire. Historical records from this period often feature variations in spelling, such as Adame, Addams, and Addoms, reflecting the fluid nature of surnames in those times.
Notable individuals bearing the Adams surname played significant roles throughout history. One of the earliest recorded was John Adams (c. 1320-1389), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Wiltshire during the reign of Edward III.
The Adams family gained prominence in the American colonies, with several notable figures emerging. Samuel Adams (1722-1803), a Founding Father of the United States, was a prominent figure in the American Revolution and a cousin of the second U.S. President, John Adams (1735-1826).
Another influential Adams was Ansel Adams (1902-1984), an American photographer renowned for his stunning black-and-white landscapes of the American West and his contributions to the art of photography.
Additionally, the Adams surname has been associated with literary figures, such as Douglas Adams (1952-2001), the British author best known for his hugely popular science fiction series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."
Throughout history, the Adams name has also been linked to various place names, including the town of Adams in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, established in 1778 and named after the Adams family.
While the surname Adams originated in England, it has since spread across the globe, carried by generations of individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, leaving an indelible mark on the rich tapestry of human history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Adams
Among Census respondents with the surname Adams, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.1%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Adams bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 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.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
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 Adams surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.1% · 294,005
- Black or African American19.5% · 80,577
- Two or more races4.3% · 17,951
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 14,904
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 3,081
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 2,952
Timeline
Historical Census data for Adams
Adams appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#42
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 427,865
+14,779 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 145.05
Rank movement Down 3 places
2020
#43
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 413,470
-14,395 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 138.33
Rank movement Down 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #39 | 413,086 | 153.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #42 | 427,865 | 145.05 | +14,779 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 3 places |
| 2020 | #43 | 413,470 | 138.33 | -14,395 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 1 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Adams surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #42 | #43 | -2.4% |
| Count | 427,865 | 413,470 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 145.05 | 138.33 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Adams bearers went from 427,865 to 413,470 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #42 to #43.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Adams
FAQ
Adams surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Adams?
Name Census estimates that about 474,137 living Americans carry the surname Adams. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 723 residents.
How common is Adams?
Adams ranks #43 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 138.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 138 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 413,470 people with the surname Adams. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (474,137), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 138.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 138.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 138 of them to have the surname Adams.
Has Adams become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Adams went from 427,865 recorded bearers to 413,470. That is a decrease of 14,395 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #42 to #43.
What does the Census say about the background of Adams?
Among Census respondents with the surname Adams, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.1%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Adams in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.1% (294,005 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Adams appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.1%), Black (19.5%), Two or More Races (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Adams (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Adams mean?
An English patronymic surname meaning "son of Adam," derived from the Biblical figure Adam, the first man. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Adams (138.33 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Adams?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.