Contents [hide]

Adam History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Adam History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland/England
England
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Scotland

Etymology of Adam

What does the name Adam mean?

In ancient Scotland, the ancestors of the first people to use the name Adam were part of a tribe known as the Strathclyde Britons. The name is derived from the given name Adam, which is itself derived from the Latin name Adamus which means earth.

The MacAdams "of Waterhead, co. Ayr, claim descent from the head of the Clan Macgregor; but the name was changed, early in the XVI. century, from Macgregor to Macadam, in consequence of political troubles." 1

Another source agrees with the postulation: "The family are descended from Adam Macgregor, grandson of Gregor Macgregor, chief of the clan Gregor." 2

However, our research has shown the family existed far before Adam Macgregror as we shall soon show. In fact, "The Macadams of Waterhead, Ayrshire, of whom John Loudon Macadam the famous road-builder was a member, claim to be descended from a Macgregor of the first half of the sixteenth century who fled to Ayrshire. Recently Mr. Roy Devereux, great-grandson of the roadbuilder, in a letter to the press says: 'During my researches for the biography of my ancestor which I am now writing I have found no evidence whatever in support of the tradition that the McAdams are descended from the McGregors.'" 3

Early Origins of the Adam family

The surname Adam was first found in Annandale, where they held a family seat at Kynemund and at Waterhead in the Stewartry of Kirkudbright.

"Adam of Caithness (d. 1222), Scottish bishop, was probably a native of the south of Scotland. The tradition is that he was a foundling exposed at the church door. He first appears in 1207, when we find that he, already prior of the Cistercians at Melrose, became abbot. " 4

The name is MacAdaim in Gaelic, denoting "son of Adam" and the first record was "Dolfinus mach Adam witnessed a charter by Ernaldus, bishop of St. Andrews, c. 1160-1162." 3 This is likely the same aforementioned "Adam of Caithness" mentioned above but the Latin form of the name was used for this entry.

Early History of the Adam family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Adam research. Another 246 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1189, 1329, 1460, 1728, 1792 and 1891 are included under the topic Early Adam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Adam Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: MacAdam, MacAdams, McAdam, McAdams, MacCaw and others.

Early Notables of the Adam family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Robert Adam, the famous architect...
Also of note were Samuel Adams and John Adams of Massachusetts Bay, now the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, signers of the American Declaration of Independence...

Adam World Ranking

In the United States, the name Adam is the 2,706^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 5 However, in Canada, the name Adam is ranked the 654^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,919 people with that name. 6 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Adam is the 570^th popular surname. 7 France ranks Adam as 111^st with 25,815 people. 8 Australia ranks Adam as 854^th with 4,629 people. 9 New Zealand ranks Adam as 739^th with 977 people. 10 South Africa ranks Adam as 787^th with 8,776 people. 11

Migration of the Adam family to Ireland

Some of the Adam family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Adam migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Adam Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Adam, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 12
Tho Adam, who landed in Virginia in 1665 12
Robert Adam, who landed in Perth Amboy, NJ in 1685 12
John Adam, who arrived in New Jersey in 1685 12
John Adam, who landed in America in 1685
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Adam Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jacob Adam, who arrived in New York in 1709 12
Hendrick Adam, aged 28, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 12
Joh Henrich Adam, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 12
Catharina Adam, aged 2, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 12
Cathrina Adam, aged 26, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Adam Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jacob Adam, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 12
William Adam who wrote an Adam Genealogy which is now part of the American Library of Congress
Johann Jakob Adam, who arrived in Brazil in 1827 12
Joh Jakob Adam, who landed in Brazil in 1827 12
Jakob Adam, who arrived in Brazil in 1827 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Adam Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Juliana Adam, aged 19, who arrived in New York, NY in 1902 12
Wilhelm Adam, aged 7, who landed in New York, NY in 1902 12
Friedrich Adam, aged 11, who landed in New York, NY in 1902 12
Catharina Adam, aged 48, who arrived in New York, NY in 1902 12
Arthur Adam, who landed in Pike County, Ind in 1904 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Adam migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Adam Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Anne Adam, who landed in Quebec in 1671
Sam Adam of Ferryland, Newfoundland, settled there in 1675 13
René Adam, son of Jean and Marie, married Anne Maillou, daughter of Michel and Jeanne, in Beaumont, Quebec on 1st May 1696 14

Adam Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Guillaume Adam, son of Guillaume and Marguerite, who married Catherine Charon, daughter of Pierre and Catherine, in Longueuil, Quebec on 24th February 1701 14
Jean-Baptiste Adam, son of Jean and Marie, who married Catherine Guillet, daughter of Louis and Marie, in Batiscan, Quebec on 16th April 1708 14
Ignace Adam, son of René and Anne, who married Suzanne Lacasse, daughter of Joseph and Marie-Françoise, in Beaumont, Quebec on 19th November 1720 14
Samuel Adam was a JP of Placentia, Newfoundland, in 1730 13
René Adam, son of René and Anne, married Marie-Josephte Maupas, daughter of Nicolas and Agnès, in Beaumont, Quebec on 8th November 1734 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Adam Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Margaret Adam, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1848
Amalie Adam, aged 20, who landed in Quebec in 1868 aboard the ship "Lebig"

Adam Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Anna Adam, aged 3, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1902
Alexander Adam, aged 4, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1902
Arthur Adam, aged 1, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1902
Emilie Adam, aged 26, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1902
Gottlieb Adam, aged 32, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1902
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Adam migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Adam Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Adam, a shoemaker, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mr. Alexander Adam, Scottish convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for life, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 12th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 15
Mr. James Adam, (b. 1807), aged 30, Cornish farmer, from St. Ives, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Alfred" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 31st August 1837 16
Mrs. Susan Adam, (b. 1808), aged 29, Cornish farming servant, from Plymouth, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Alfred" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 31st August 1837 16
Mr. John Adam, (b. 1829), aged 8, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Alfred" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 31st August 1837 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Adam migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Adam Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Adam, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Harrington" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 15th June 1841 17
John S. Adam, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jane Gifford" in 1842 18
Elizabeth Adam, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jane Gifford" in 1842 18
John Adam, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1843
James Adam, aged 25, a shipwright, who arrived in Otago aboard the ship "Philip Laing" in 1848
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Adam migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 19

Adam Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

John Adam, who settled in Barbados in 1680

Contemporary Notables of the name Adam (post 1700) +

Peter R. Adam (1957-2023), German film editor, known for his work on An American Werewolf in Paris, Good Bye, Lenin!, and Anonymous
T. A. Adam, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Carolina, 1924 20
Samuel Forbes Adam (1783-1854), American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Canaan, 1825, 1827-28 20
Prudence Adam, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 2008 20
Robert R. Adam, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives from Berks County 3rd District; Elected 1954 20
Nathaniel E. Adam, American politician, Representative from California 43rd District, 2000 20
Karl Adam, American Republican politician, South Dakota Republican State Chair, 2008; Delegate to Republican National Convention from South Dakota, 2008 20
John J. Adam (1807-1888), American politician, Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention 3rd District, 1835 20
Jane E. Adam, American politician, Representative from California 47th District, 2000 20
James Noble Adam (1842-1912), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Buffalo, New York, 1906-09 20
... (Another 28 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Adam family +

Bismarck

Heinz Adam (1920-1941), German Matrose IV Funk who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 21

Vimy Ridge

James Adam (d. 1917), Canadian Private in the 78th Battalion who died at Vimy Ridge April 1917

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 28th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/chapman
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_bounty_nsw.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, August 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details