boy's name
Adam
AD-um
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 816,570
the United States
#101
2025 births
Adam is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "earth" or "ground," from adamah. Genesis makes the wordplay explicit — the first man is formed from the dust of the ground, and his name is that ground.
- Adam is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in US records in 1984, when 24,081 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 368 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Adam over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. Adam is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,020 |
| 1890s | 863 |
| 1900s | 1,021 |
| 1910s | 4,485 |
| 1920s | 4,473 |
| 1930s | 2,409 |
| 1940s | 2,436 |
| 1950s | 3,738 |
| 1960s | 22,998 |
| 1970s | 92,215 |
| 1980s | 196,102 |
| 1990s | 107,146 |
| 2000s | 71,176 |
| 2010s | 50,770 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 21,601 |
What Adam means
Adam means earth, ground, or the man formed from it, connected to the Hebrew adamah, soil. The word may also relate to a root meaning red, describing the color of the earth in question.
Where Adam comes from
Adam comes from the Hebrew adam, meaning man or humankind, closely tied to adamah, meaning ground or soil. Genesis builds the connection deliberately: the man is formed from the dust of the ground and returns to it, and the Hebrew makes the pun impossible to miss in a way English translation cannot fully carry. A further connection links both words to a root meaning red, describing reddish earth. Adam functions in the opening chapters as both a personal name and the ordinary word for humanity, which is why translations vary between "Adam" and "the man." The name is significant in Judaism, Christianity and Islam alike, and has been used in England since the medieval period.
Adam in use
In Hebrew the name and the word for the ground he was formed from are the same root — a pun English cannot reproduce.
How popular is Adam?
In 2025, Adam was given to 1,431 babies in England and Wales, ranking #26 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Adam is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
How Adam is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Adâm | Adâm is a rare spelling of Adam, written with a circumflex and recorded about 60 times, mostly in France. | 60 |
| Âdam | Âdam is a rare spelling of Adam, written with a circumflex and recorded about 30 times, mostly in France. | 30 |
Names that peaked alongside Adam
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Adam also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Adam over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Adam
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Adam in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Adam
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Adam — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Adam
What does the name Adam mean?
Adam means "earth" or "ground," from the Hebrew adamah.
Is Adam a biblical name?
Yes — the first man in Genesis, formed from the dust of the ground.
Why is Adam connected to the earth?
His name and the Hebrew word for the ground he was formed from share a root, and Genesis plays on it.
How popular is the name Adam?
In 2025, Adam was given to 1,431 babies in England and Wales, ranking #26 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Adam a girl's or a boy's name?
Adam is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Adam?
Adam has 2 syllables.
When was Adam most popular?
Adam peaked in 1984, when 24,081 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Adam?
Adam is usually shortened to Ad.
Is Adam a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Adam currently ranks #9 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.