Adam
Adam was the 101st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,501 babies. Its best year was 1983, when it ranked 18th; the most babies were born in 1984 (23,939). Over the last ten years it has moved down 28 places. More babies were named Adam in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning man; earth · Hebrew
Say it AD-uhm /ˈædəm/
- Rank in 2025
- #101 boys, down 4 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 3,501boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 198423,939 babies
- Total since 1880
- 582,453babies recorded
What does the name Adam mean?
Adam is the Hebrew name of the first man in Genesis. The Hebrew word adam means 'human being' or 'mankind', and the story links it with adamah, 'ground, earth', from which he is formed in Genesis 2:7; DMNES glosses it 'earth, soil; man'. A connection with the root for 'red' is also often made. DMNES records Adam in England from the 12th century, and medieval pet forms such as Adkyn and Atkyn survive in surnames like Atkinson.
אָדָם (Biblical Hebrew, “man, human being”)אֲדָמָה (Biblical Hebrew, “ground, earth”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Adán, Adamo, Addison, Atkins.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Adam', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Hebrew Bible, Genesis 2:7, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
- Wiktionary, entry 'Adam', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Adam popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,075 since 1913, 10 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #101 | 3,501 |
| 2020 | #97 | 3,781 |
| 2010 | #80 | 5,111 |
| 2000 | #45 | 8,136 |
| 1990 | #32 | 14,713 |
| 1980 | #22 | 18,868 |
| 1970 | #72 | 4,313 |
| 1960 | #249 | 1,018 |
| 1950 | #382 | 308 |
| 1940 | #379 | 227 |
| 1930 | #337 | 273 |
| 1920 | #223 | 579 |
| 1910 | #182 | 154 |
| 1900 | #187 | 111 |
| 1890 | #180 | 74 |
| 1880 | #123 | 104 |
How popular is Adam, counting every spelling?
Adam is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #107 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #101 for Adam on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,515 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam | 3,501 | #101 | 17,790 |
| Aadam | 9 | #8,243 | 55 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Adam?
3,501 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Adam (0.97 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Adam born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Adam.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Adam?
About 533,200 people born in the US named Adam are alive today, with a median age of 38; half are between 25 and 45. That makes Adam mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Adam by state
How common Adam was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (2.3×), Michigan (2.0×), New York (1.8×), Illinois (1.8×), New Jersey (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Alabama, West Virginia, South Dakota.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Adam: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Adam, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Adam · Sibling names for Adam
Questions about the name Adam
What does Adam mean?
Adam means “man; earth” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Adam?
Adam was the 101st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,501 babies. Its best year was 1983, when it ranked 18th; the most babies were born in 1984 (23,939). Over the last ten years it has moved down 28 places. More babies were named Adam in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Adam a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Adam in the US.
Where is Adam most popular?
In 2021–2025, Adam was most common in District of Columbia (4.81 per 1,000 boys), followed by Michigan and New York.