UK boy's name
Adam
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "earth" or "man of the earth".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Adam is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Adam popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #35, with 1,410 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 4,538 births.
This profile covers 71,855 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 31% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 87,826 living people in the UK are called Adam. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Adam ranked #35 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 1,410 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 4,538 boys were registered as Adam.
- • Adam ranks best in North East in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #1 in 2003.
- • About 87,826 living people in the UK are estimated to have Adam as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#35
2024
Births in 2024
1,410
Latest year
Peak year
1996
4,538 births
Estimated living
87,826
2026
Meaning
What does Adam mean?
The name Adam is derived from the Hebrew word "adam" which means "man" or "earth." The name is believed to have originated during the ancient times of the Hebrew culture, as it is found in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible, where Adam is described as the first man created by God.
The name Adam is one of the oldest names on record, and it has been used across various cultures and religions throughout history. In the Bible, Adam is the name given to the first human being created by God from the dust of the earth. This Biblical reference has made the name Adam popular among Christians and Jews for centuries.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Adam can be found in the ancient Sumerian cuneiform tablets dating back to around 2500 BCE. These tablets mention an individual named "Ad-amu," which is believed to be a precursor to the name Adam.
In the Islamic tradition, Adam is also revered as the first prophet and the father of humanity. The Quran and other Islamic texts refer to him as "Adam," solidifying the name's significance in the Muslim faith.
Throughout history, there have been numerous notable individuals named Adam. One of the most famous was Adam Smith (1723-1790), the Scottish philosopher and economist who is considered the father of modern economics. His seminal work, "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations," laid the foundations for the study of economics.
Another well-known Adam was Adam Mickiewicz (1798-1855), a Polish poet, dramatist, and political activist who is regarded as one of the greatest poets of the Romantic era. His epic poem "Pan Tadeusz" is considered a masterpiece of Polish literature.
In the world of art, Adam Elsheimer (1578-1610) was a German painter who played a significant role in the development of the Baroque style. His innovative use of light and shadow influenced many later artists, including Rembrandt.
Adam Opel (1837-1895) was a German industrialist who founded the Opel automobile company, which later became a subsidiary of General Motors. His contribution to the automotive industry has left a lasting legacy.
Lastly, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (1908-1972) was an American politician and civil rights leader who represented Harlem in the United States House of Representatives for over 25 years. He played a pivotal role in the fight against racial discrimination and advocated for equal rights for African Americans.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Adam over time
The chart below shows babies named Adam registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Adam, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 1,410 births in 2024, compared with 4,538 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Adam by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Adam was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #39 | 6,953 | 5 |
| 2010s | #38 | 18,404 | 10 |
| 2000s | #24 | 30,016 | 10 |
| 1990s | #20 | 16,482 | 4 |
Geography
Where Adam is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Adam. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Adam ranks best in North East in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #1 in 2003.
Across the UK
Adam in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#42 in 2024
51 years of NRS records, 12,044 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#38 in 2024
28 years of NISRA records, 4,747 total registered
Related
Names similar to Adam
- Alfie 86,546
- Alexander 85,525
- Archie 59,965
- Arthur 43,586
- Aaron 36,366
- Alex 32,729
- Andrew 20,169
- Arlo 19,061
- Aidan 16,776
- Albie 16,017
- Albert 15,809
- Aiden 15,654
FAQ
Adam: questions and answers
How popular is the name Adam in the UK right now?
In 2024, Adam was ranked #35 for boys in England and Wales, with 1,410 births registered.
When was Adam most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 4,538 babies registered as Adam in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Adam?
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "earth" or "man of the earth".
How many people are called Adam in the UK?
A total of 71,855 babies have been registered as Adam across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 12,044 more in Scotland and 4,747 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Adam most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Adam ranks best in North East, where it placed #1 in 2003. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.