Adams is a common surname of English and Scottish origin, derived from the given name Adam. Related surnames include Addams and McAdam/MacAdam.
People with the surname
Politics and law Alice Abadam (Welsh form of Adams) (1856–1940), Welsh suffragist, feminist, public speaker. A. A. Adams (1900–1985), American politician Abigail Adams (1744–1818), second First Lady of the United States and mother of John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States Alma Adams (born 1946), U.S. representative from North Carolina Annette Abbott Adams (1877–1956), judge of the California Court of Appeal Arlin Adams (1921–2015), judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Barbara Adams (born 1962), Canadian politician Benjamin C. Adams (1847–1907), American politician Benjamin F. Adams (1822–1902), American politician Brock Adams (1927–2004), U.S. representative and U.S. senator from Washington Bryan Adams (politician) (born 1963), member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Jefferson Parish Campbell W. Adams (1852–1930), New York state engineer and surveyor Carl S. Adams (1917–2019), American politician Charles C. Adams Jr. (born 1947), American international arbitration lawyer, civic activist Charles Francis Adams Sr. (1807–1886), U.S. congressman, ambassador Dick Adams (Australian politician) (born 1951), Australian politician Dorothy Adams, later known as Dorothy Williams (activist) (1928–2011), South African anti-apartheid activist Edward Hamlyn Adams (1777–1842), British merchant and politician. Ekene Abubakar Adams (1985–2024), Nigerian politician Elmer B. Adams (1842–1916), United States District Court judge Elmer Ellsworth Adams (1861–1950), American newspaper editor and politician Eric Adams (born 1960), Mayor of New York City (2022–2025) Floyd Adams Jr. (1945–2014), American politician Fraser L. Adams (1891–1979), mayor of Huntsville, Alabama Gabriel Adams (1790–1864), mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Gerry Adams (born 1948), Irish republican politician, leader of Sinn Féin 1983–2018 Grantley Herbert Adams (1898–1971), Barbadian politician Green Adams (1812–1884), United States congressman from Kentucky Hank Adams (1943–2020), Native American rights activist Henry Cullen Adams (1850–1906), U.S. representative from Wisconsin Irene Adams, Baroness Adams of Craigielea (born 1947), Scottish politician Isaac Adams (inventor) (1802–1883), American inventor and politician Isaac Adams (Maine politician) (1773–1834), American politician Isaac Adams (Wisconsin politician) (1825–1879), American politician J. C. Adams (politician), mayor of Phoenix Arizona and businessman J. J. Adams (1860–1935), American politician Jed C. Adams (1876–1935), judge of the United States Board of Tax Appeals Jesse A. Adams (1876–1940), American politician John Donley Adams (born 1973), American lawyer and politician John Adams (1735–1826), one of the Founding Fathers, first vice president of the United States and second president of the United States John Adams (Canadian general) (born 1942), Chief of the Canadian Security Establishment John Adams (New York politician) (1778–1854), U.S. congressman from New York John Adams (Virginia politician) (1773–1825), American politician John Quincy Adams (1767–1848), sixth president of the United States and son of John Adams, second president of the United States Judith Adams (politician) (1943–2012), Australian senator Junior Adams (born 1979), American football coach Jüri Adams (born 1947), Estonian politician Lawrence Adams (Mississippi politician) (1914–1994), American politician Leo G. Adams (born 1937), American politician Les Adams (politician) (born 1974), American politician and judge from Virginia Marshal T. Adams (1886–1987), American politician Mumuni Adams (1907–?), Ghanaian politician N. Q. Adams (1839–1922), American politician Natalie Adams (born 1965), Australian judge Nigel Adams (born 1966), British politician Philip Adams (1915–2001), British diplomat Platt Adams (politician) (1792–1887), New York politician Robert Adams Jr. (1849–1906), U.S. representative from Pennsylvania Robert H. Adams (1792–1830), U.S. senator from Mississippi Salisbury Adams (1925–2004), American lawyer and politician Samuel Adams (1722–1803), American revolutionary Samuel Adams (Arkansas politician) (1805–1850), governor of Arkansas Simeon R. Adams (1814–1860), American politician and newspaper owner Teresa Adams (1869–1947), American civil rights activist and suffragist Thomas Adams (politician) (1730–1788), American Continental Congressman Tom Adams (politician) (1931–1985), Barbadian politician, the prime minister of Barbados W. C. Adams (1884–1972), American politician Washington Adams (1814–1883), justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri
Sports Alvan Adams (born 1954), American basketball player Amare Adams (born 2006), American football player Amos Adams (footballer) (1880–1941), English footballer Andre Adams (born 1975), New Zealand cricketer Ashley Adams (1955–2015), Australian Paralympic shooting medallist Austin Adams (baseball, born 1986), American baseball player Austin Adams (baseball, born 1991), American baseball player Babe Adams (1882–1968), American baseball pitcher Blair Adams (born 1991), English footballer Blake Adams (born 2000), American baseball pitcher Bob Adams (1920s pitcher) (1901–1996), American National League baseball pitcher Bob Adams (1930s pitcher) (1907–1970), American National League baseball pitcher Bob Adams (American football) (born 1946), US American football player Bobby Adams (1921–1997), American Major League Baseball infielder Boyd Adams (1934–2025), American racing driver Brendan Adams (born 2000), American basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League Bud Adams (1923–2013), owner of American professional football team, Tennessee Titans Carl Adams (born 1942), American racing driver Charles Adams (1876–1947), American businessman and Boston Bruins founder Ché Adams (born 1996), English footballer who plays for Scotland Chris Adams (cricketer) (born 1970), English cricketer Chris Adams (footballer) (1927–2012), English footballer Chris Adams (rugby league) (born 1986), Australian rugby league footballer Chris Adams (wrestler) (1955–2001), English judoka and professional wrestler Chuck Adams (born 1971), American tennis player Danesha Adams (born 1986), American footballer (soccer) Danielle Adams (born 1989), American basketball player Darren Adams (born 1974), English footballer Davante Adams (born 1992), American football player Davey Adams (1883–1948), Scottish footballer Dennis Adams (boxer) (1934–1971), South African boxer Derek Adams (born 1975), Scottish footballer and manager Diane Adams, Canadian curler, World champion Doc Adams (1814–1899), American baseball player and executive, credited with inventing the shortstop position Don Adams (basketball) (1947–2013), American basketball player Eddie Adams (racing driver), American racing driver Eli Adams (born 2002), Australian footballer Emery Adams (1911–1960), American baseball player Ernie Adams (footballer, born 1922) (1922–2009), English footballer Ernie Adams (footballer, born 1948) (born 1948), English footballer Gaines Adams (1983–2010), American football player Gary Adams (baseball) (born 1939), American college baseball coach Georgia Adams (born 1993), English women's cricketer Harry Adams (baseball umpire) (1863–1941), American Major League Baseball umpire Hassan Adams (born 1984), American basketball player Isaiah Adams (born 2000), American football player Jack Adams (1894–1968), National Hockey League player, coach, and manager Jalen Adams (born 1995), American basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem in the Israeli Basketball Premier League Jamal Adams (born 1995), American football player Jamie Adams (footballer) (born 1987), Scottish footballer Jen Adams (born 1980), Australian lacrosse coach and former player Jeff Adams (born 1970), Canadian wheelchair racer
Jimmy Adams (racing driver) (born 1972), US racecar driver Jordan Adams (basketball, born 1981) (born 1981), American-Canadian basketball player Jordan Adams (basketball, born 1994) (born 1994), American basketball player Jordyn Adams (born 1999), American baseball player Josh Adams (American football) (born 1996), American football player Junior Adams (born 1979), American football coach Katrina Adams (born 1968), American professional tennis player Keion Adams (born 1995), American football player Kenny Adams (1940–2025), American boxing trainer Kevyn Adams (born 1974), American ice hockey player Kola Adams (born 1980), Nigerian footballer Layonel Adams (1994–2026), Russian footballer, brother of Lyukman Lyukman Adams (born 1988), Russian triple jumper Marcus Adams (footballer) (born 1993), Australian rules footballer Martin Adams (born 1956), English darts player, 2007 British Darts Organisation World Champion Matt Adams (born 1988), American baseball player Matthew Adams (American football) (born 1995), American football player Michael Adams (basketball) (born 1963), American NBA basketball player, college basketball Michael Adams (chess player) (born 1971), English chess grandmaster Micky Adams (born 1961), English football (soccer) manager Mike Adams (born 1974), professional American football player Montravius Adams (born 1995), American football player Myles Adams (born 1998), American football player Neil Adams (born 1958), British judoka Neil Adams (born 1965), English football (soccer) player Nick Adams (born 1948), British racing driver Nicola Adams (born 1982), English boxer Ondigui Adams (born 1987), Cameroonian football (soccer) player Philippe Adams (born 1969), Belgian Formula One driver Phillip Adams (American football) (1988–2021), American football player Rex Adams (1928–2014), English footballer Riley Adams (born 1996), American baseball player Rodney Adams (born 1994), American football player Ronnie Adams (1916–2004), British rally driver Roosevelt Adams (born 1994), Filipino-American basketball player Russ Adams (born 1980), American baseball player with the Toronto Blue Jays Sadick Adams (born 1990), Ghanaian footballer Sam Adams (born 1973), US American football player Sam Adams Sr. (1948–2015), US American football player Shawn Adams (born 1974), Canadian curler Sidney Adams (1904–1945), English cricketer Spencer Adams (1898–1970), American Baseball player Stephen Adams (born 1989), Ghanaian football player Steven Adams (born 1993), New Zealand basketball player; half-brother of Valerie Adams (below) Stewart Adams (ice hockey) (1904–1978), Canadian ice hockey player Taeyanna Adams (born 2002), Micronesian swimmer Tony Adams (born 1966), English footballer and manager Travis Adams (born 2000), American baseball player Trey Adams (born 1997), American football player Tyler Adams (born 1999), American soccer player Valerie Adams (born 1984), New Zealand shot putter Vicki Adams (born 1989), Scottish curler Vicki Adams (trick rider) (born 1951), rodeo performer W. Adams, English football manager of Shrewsbury Town Football Club between 1905 and 1912
Literature and journalism Bristow Adams (1875–1957), American journalist, forester, professor, illustrator Brooks Adams (1848–1927), American historian and a critic of capitalism Carol J. Adams (born 1951), American writer, feminist, and animal rights advocate Cecil Adams, pseudonym of author(s) of a syndicated question-and-answer column, The Straight Dope Douglas Adams (1952–2001), British comic radio dramatist and writer, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series Eddie Adams (1933–2004), American photojournalist Ellinor Davenport Adams (1858–1913), British journalist and writer Flora Adams (1840–1910), American author and clubwoman