NameCensus.

UK surname

Adjei

Derived from the Akan name "Akyei," meaning "the king has arrived" or "he who was born on a holy day."

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Haringey, Islington and Southwark.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Adjei is 1,032 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

991

2016, ranked #5,843

Peak year

2010

1,032 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 991 in 2016, ranked #5,843.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Adjei surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Adjei surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Adjei 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
1997 modern 381 #11,393
1998 modern 424 #10,880
1999 modern 440 #10,648
2000 modern 453 #10,371
2001 modern 447 #10,294
2002 modern 549 #8,989
2003 modern 590 #8,436
2004 modern 691 #7,490
2005 modern 750 #6,960
2006 modern 830 #6,426
2007 modern 883 #6,180
2008 modern 944 #5,912
2009 modern 994 #5,790
2010 modern 1,032 #5,725
2011 modern 980 #5,909
2012 modern 945 #6,008
2013 modern 983 #5,906
2014 modern 1,015 #5,789
2015 modern 996 #5,828
2016 modern 991 #5,843

Geography

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Where Adjeis are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Haringey, Islington, Southwark, Merton and Enfield. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Haringey 013 Haringey
2 Islington 002 Islington
3 Southwark 019 Southwark
4 Merton 014 Merton
5 Enfield 025 Enfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Adjei

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Adjei

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Adjei, 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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Adjei surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Adjei household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Adjei 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

Adjei 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

Adjei falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Adjei is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Black - African

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

Meaning and origin of Adjei

The surname "ADJEI" is of Ghanaian origin, tracing its roots back to the Akan people of West Africa. It first emerged in the 17th century as a surname given to children born on Mondays, as "Adjei" means "Monday-born" in the Akan language.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the name was primarily concentrated in the Ashanti region of Ghana, where the Akan people have historically resided. The earliest recorded instances of the Adjei surname can be found in colonial records from this period, as well as in local oral traditions and genealogies.

One notable early figure bearing the Adjei surname was Nana Adjei Ampofo, a prominent chief of the Ashanti people who lived in the late 18th century and played a significant role in the region's resistance against British colonial rule.

During the 20th century, the Adjei surname began to spread more widely across Ghana and beyond, as Akan people migrated to other parts of the country and abroad. Kwame Adjei, born in 1928, was a renowned Ghanaian historian and academic who made significant contributions to the study of West African history and culture.

Another notable figure was Maame Adjei, a Ghanaian writer and activist born in 1939, whose works explored themes of gender, tradition, and social change in Ghanaian society. Her novel "The Dilemma of a Ghost" is considered a seminal work of Ghanaian literature.

In more recent times, the Adjei surname has gained international recognition through individuals like Ama Adjei, a Ghanaian-British fashion designer and entrepreneur born in 1975, whose clothing line has been featured at fashion shows around the world.

Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, born in 1991, is an American writer and author of the acclaimed short story collection "Friday Black," which explores issues of race, consumerism, and identity in contemporary America.

While the Adjei surname has its roots in the Akan culture of Ghana, it has now become a part of the global diaspora, carried by individuals of Ghanaian descent to various corners of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Adjei surname: questions and answers

How common is the Adjei surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 991 in 2016. That gives Adjei a modern rank of #5,843.

What does the Adjei surname mean?

Derived from the Akan name "Akyei," meaning "the king has arrived" or "he who was born on a holy day."

What does the Adjei map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Adjei 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.