2000
#2,877
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,455
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.25
Uncommon Last name
Mcadams
Son of Adam, a patronymic surname of Scottish and Irish origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,650 Americans carry the last name Mcadams. That puts it at #3,196 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,095 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcadams 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 Mcadams with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 27,095
Census rank
#3,196
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,031 bearers of the surname Mcadams in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3196th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcadams, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcadams
The surname McAdams originated in Scotland and is derived from the Gaelic Mac Adhamh, meaning "son of Adam." This name is believed to have been first used in the Scottish Highlands during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century.
McAdams is considered a patronymic surname, which means it was originally formed by combining the prefix "Mac" (meaning "son of") with a personal name, in this case, Adam. This naming convention was common in Scotland and other parts of the British Isles during that time period.
The earliest recorded instances of the name McAdams can be found in various Scottish historical records and charters from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable mention is in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the year 1264, which includes a reference to a "Gillebride MacAdame."
In the 16th century, the McAdams family was prominent in the Scottish Borders region, with several members holding positions of influence and landowners. One notable figure from this era was John McAdams, who served as the Provost (Mayor) of Jedburgh in the late 16th century.
As the name spread beyond Scotland, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged, including McAdam, McAdams, and Adams. In Ireland, the McAdams name is associated with County Antrim and County Down, where it is believed to have been introduced by Scottish settlers during the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname McAdams, including:
1. Robert McAdams (1799-1865), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Senator from Illinois.
2. William McAdams (1810-1891), an American politician and jurist who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.
3. John McAdams (1819-1886), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
4. Leila McAdams (1893-1965), an American actress and vaudeville performer who appeared in several Broadway productions and films.
5. Rachel McAdams (born 1978), a Canadian actress known for her roles in films such as "Mean Girls," "The Notebook," and "Spotlight."
The surname McAdams continues to be widely distributed across various parts of the world, with significant populations in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, reflecting the Scottish diaspora and migration patterns over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcadams
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcadams, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcadams 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 Mcadams surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.3% · 9,074
- Black or African American8.6% · 950
- Two or more races4.1% · 448
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 394
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 90
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 75
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcadams
Mcadams 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
#3,122
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,547
+92 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 3.91
Rank movement Down 245 places
2020
#3,196
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,031
-516 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 3.69
Rank movement Down 74 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,877 | 11,455 | 4.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,122 | 11,547 | 3.91 | +92 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 245 places |
| 2020 | #3,196 | 11,031 | 3.69 | -516 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 74 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 Mcadams 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 | #3,122 | #3,196 | -2.4% |
| Count | 11,547 | 11,031 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.91 | 3.69 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcadams bearers went from 11,547 to 11,031 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 74 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,122 to #3,196.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcadams
FAQ
Mcadams surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcadams?
Name Census estimates that about 12,650 living Americans carry the surname Mcadams. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,095 residents.
How common is Mcadams?
Mcadams ranks #3,196 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,031 people with the surname Mcadams. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,650), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Mcadams.
Has Mcadams become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcadams went from 11,547 recorded bearers to 11,031. That is a decrease of 516 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,122 to #3,196.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcadams?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcadams, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Mcadams in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.3% (9,074 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcadams appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.3%), Black (8.6%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Mcadams (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 Mcadams mean?
Son of Adam, a patronymic surname of Scottish and Irish origin. 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 Mcadams (3.69 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 people have the surname Mcadams?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.