NameCensus.

UK surname

Addams

Derived from "Adam," likely referring to someone who was the son of Adam or came from a town named Adam.

In the 1881 census there were 98 people recorded with the Addams surname, ranking it #19,999 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 114, ranked #28,515, down from #19,999 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Flitwick, Ingrave and Tormoham with Torquay. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Spelthorne, Black Isle North and Ceredigion.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Addams is 507 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.3%.

1881 census count

98

Ranked #19,999

Modern count

114

2016, ranked #28,515

Peak year

1851

507 bearers

Map years

3

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Addams had 98 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,999 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016, ranked #28,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 507 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Addams surname distribution map

The map shows where the Addams surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Addams surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Addams over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 507 #4,933
1861 historical 315 #8,071
1881 historical 98 #19,999
1891 historical 75 #27,414
1901 historical 55 #28,064
1911 historical 48 #28,006
1997 modern 65 #31,141
1998 modern 74 #30,562
1999 modern 81 #30,037
2000 modern 82 #29,922
2001 modern 76 #30,366
2002 modern 80 #30,387
2003 modern 76 #30,883
2004 modern 70 #31,681
2005 modern 74 #31,522
2006 modern 73 #31,954
2007 modern 69 #32,662
2008 modern 70 #32,856
2009 modern 81 #32,172
2010 modern 91 #31,497
2011 modern 86 #32,006
2012 modern 98 #30,612
2013 modern 99 #30,934
2014 modern 104 #30,365
2015 modern 107 #29,708
2016 modern 114 #28,515

Geography

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Where Addams' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Flitwick, Ingrave, Tormoham with Torquay, Dudley and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Spelthorne, Black Isle North, Ceredigion, Sheffield and Plymouth. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Flitwick Bedfordshire
2 Ingrave Essex
3 Tormoham with Torquay Devon
4 Dudley Staffordshire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Spelthorne 004 Spelthorne
2 Black Isle North Highland
3 Ceredigion 011 Ceredigion
4 Sheffield 026 Sheffield
5 Plymouth 003 Plymouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Addams

These lists show first names that appear often with the Addams surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Addams

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Addams, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Addams surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Addams household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Addams is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Addams is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Addams falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Addams is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Addams, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Addams

The surname Addams originates from England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English personal name Adam, which means "man" or "earth". The name was originally spelled as "Adames" or "Adammes".

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England after the Norman Conquest, there are several entries for individuals with the name Adames or similar spellings. This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Addams is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191, where a Richard Adames is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were financial records kept by the English Exchequer.

During the Middle Ages, the name Addams was often associated with place names or toponyms. For example, in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, there is a reference to a Robert de Adames, suggesting a connection to a place called Adames or a similar name.

In the 16th century, the spelling of the name began to standardize as Addams. One notable individual with this surname was John Addams, a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Lyme Regis in Dorset, who lived from around 1550 to 1610.

Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Addams (1604-1667), an English politician and lawyer who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1651. He was born in Stratton, Cornwall, and played a significant role during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, John Addams (1717-1783) was a notable English physician and author who wrote several medical treatises. He was born in Oxfordshire and practiced medicine in London.

John Addams (1768-1840), a British naval officer, served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and participated in several notable battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Addams was John Addams (1577-1659), who was born in England and immigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s. He was one of the founders of the town of Ipswich, Massachusetts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Addams families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Addams surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 15 Addams' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.57x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 15 1.57x
Devon 10 5.03x
Warwickshire 7 2.90x
Worcestershire 6 4.81x
Cornwall 5 4.62x
Lincolnshire 5 3.27x
Northamptonshire 5 5.56x
Wiltshire 5 5.91x
Buckinghamshire 4 6.92x
Cumberland 4 4.86x
Kent 4 1.23x
Monmouthshire 4 5.79x
Somerset 4 2.60x
Surrey 4 0.86x
Gloucestershire 3 1.60x
Lancashire 3 0.26x
Staffordshire 3 0.93x
Essex 2 1.06x
Yorkshire 2 0.21x
Lanarkshire 1 0.32x
Midlothian 1 0.78x
Norfolk 1 0.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dudley in Worcestershire leads with 5 Addams' recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.94x.

Place Total Index
Dudley 5 32.94x
Milford 5 1111.11x
Sheviock 5 2777.78x
Tormoham 5 59.38x
Whaplode Drove 5 1923.08x
Chesham 4 187.79x
Pillerton Priors 4 8000.00x
Thurloxton 4 8000.00x
Whitehaven 4 91.12x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 3 175.44x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 16.65x
Northborough 3 4285.71x
Shoreditch London 3 7.24x
Tipton 3 30.36x
Acton 2 35.71x
Aston 2 3.01x
Hackney London 2 3.73x
Hammersmith London 2 8.49x
Ingrave 2 1176.47x
Kensington London 2 3.76x
Lambeth 2 2.40x
Llangattock Vibon Avel 2 1250.00x
Northampton All Sts 2 65.57x
Snaith Cowick 2 350.88x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 10.40x
Stoke Damerel 2 14.36x
Wrotham 2 185.19x
Birmingham 1 1.24x
Buckland In The Moor 1 5000.00x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 29.41x
East Budleigh 1 106.38x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.94x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 21.93x
Islington London 1 1.08x
Limehouse London 1 9.53x
Llantillio Pertholey 1 250.00x
Mile End Old Town London 1 4.92x
Monmouth 1 54.64x
New Monkland 1 10.94x
Norwich St Edmund 1 416.67x
St Marylebone London 1 1.96x
Tredington 1 294.12x
Ulcombe 1 476.19x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Addams surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Addams surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 9
George 4
Charles 3
Thomas 3
Francis 2
James 2
John 2
Robert 2
Charley 1
Chas.E. 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Fredrick 1
H.W. 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Mathew 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1

FAQ

Addams surname: questions and answers

How common was the Addams surname in 1881?

In 1881, 98 people were recorded with the Addams surname. That placed it at #19,999 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Addams surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016. That gives Addams a modern rank of #28,515.

What does the Addams surname mean?

Derived from "Adam," likely referring to someone who was the son of Adam or came from a town named Adam.

What does the Addams map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Addams bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.