UK boy's name
Adem
A masculine Turkish name meaning "human being" or "son of Adam".
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.
Adem is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Adem popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1758, with 14 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2006, with 42 births.
This profile covers 738 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 33% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 756 living people in the UK are called Adem. 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
- • Adem ranked #1758 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 14 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2006, when 42 boys were registered as Adem.
- • Adem ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #704 in 2018.
- • About 756 living people in the UK are estimated to have Adem as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1758
2024
Births in 2024
14
Latest year
Peak year
2006
42 births
Estimated living
756
2026
Meaning
What does Adem mean?
The name Adem is believed to have its origins in the Hebrew language, derived from the word "adamah," which means "earth" or "ground." It is primarily associated with the biblical figure Adam, the first man created by God according to the Book of Genesis. As such, the name Adem carries a deep symbolic meaning, representing humanity's connection to the earth and the natural world.
In the Abrahamic religions, Adem (or Adam) is revered as the progenitor of the human race, and his name holds a significant place in the religious narratives. The Qur'an, the central religious text of Islam, also mentions Adem as the first prophet and the father of humanity, further solidifying the name's religious and cultural significance.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Adem can be traced back to the ancient Middle Eastern civilizations, where variations of the name were used. In ancient Mesopotamia, for example, the name "Adamu" was attested in cuneiform inscriptions dating back to the third millennium BCE.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Adem. One of the earliest examples is Adem Qadi (1360-1430), a renowned Ottoman calligrapher and poet who contributed significantly to the development of the Turkish language and literature. Another prominent individual was Adem Jashari (1955-1998), a revered leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army during the Kosovo War, who became a symbol of resistance and independence for the Kosovar people.
In the realm of science, Adem Altan (1889-1976) was a Turkish mathematician and astronomer known for his contributions to celestial mechanics and the study of comets. Adem Terzic (1934-2015), on the other hand, was a Bosnian writer and journalist who played a crucial role in preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Lastly, Adem Demaçi (1936-2018) was a prominent Albanian political activist and writer who fought for the rights of the Albanian population in Kosovo. His unwavering commitment to non-violent resistance and his advocacy for human rights earned him widespread respect and admiration.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Adem throughout history, reflecting the name's enduring presence across various cultures and disciplines.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Adem over time
The chart below shows babies named Adem 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 Adem, the clearest high point is 2006. The latest England and Wales figure is 14 births in 2024, compared with 42 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Adem by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Adem 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 | #1262 | 112 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1012 | 287 | 10 |
| 2000s | #865 | 261 | 10 |
| 1990s | #799 | 78 | 4 |
Geography
Where Adem is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Adem. 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.
Adem ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #704 in 2018.
Across the UK
Adem in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#704 in 2018
6 years of NRS records, 24 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Adem
-
Adem Atay
association football player
Turkish-English association football player (born 1985)
1985-
-
Adem Poric
association football player
Australian soccer player
1973-
-
Adem Ilhan
musician; singer; songwriter
British musician
1950-
Related
Names similar to Adem
- Alfie 86,546
- Alexander 85,525
- Adam 71,855
- 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
FAQ
Adem: questions and answers
How popular is the name Adem in the UK right now?
In 2024, Adem was ranked #1758 for boys in England and Wales, with 14 births registered.
When was Adem most popular?
The peak year on record was 2006, with 42 babies registered as Adem in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Adem?
A masculine Turkish name meaning "human being" or "son of Adam".
How many people are called Adem in the UK?
A total of 738 babies have been registered as Adem across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 24 more in Scotland.
Where is Adem most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Adem ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #704 in 2018. 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.