# Adams (surname)

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

* 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
* 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
* 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–present)
* 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
* 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. 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 (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 (born 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
* 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
* Amos Adams (footballer) (1880–1941), English footballer
* Andre Adams (born 1975), New Zealand cricketer
* 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
* 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 (born 1934), 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 (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
* Kevyn Adams (born 1974), American ice hockey player
* Kola Adams (born 1980), Nigerian footballer
* 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
* 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
* Francis Adams (writer) (1862–1893), Australian essayist, poet, dramatist, novelist and journalist
* Franklin P. Adams (1881–1960), American columnist (under the pen name F.P.A.), writer, and wit
* Hannah Adams (1755–1831), American historian and theologian
* Harriet Adams (1892–1982), American novelist and publisher
* Henry Adams (1838–1918), American historian, journalist, and novelist
* Kay Adams (sportscaster) (born 1986), American sportscaster and television personality
* Lois Bryan Adams (1817–1870), American writer, journalist, newspaper editor
* Mary Hall Adams (1816–1860), American editor, letter writer
* Mary Mathews Adams (1840–1902), American writer, philanthropist
* Phillip Adams (born 1939), Australian broadcaster, columnist
* Poppy Adams, British television director/producer and novelist
* R. J. Q. Adams (born 1943), American historian and professor
* Richard Adams (1920–2016), British novelist, author of Watership Down and The Plague Dogs
* Roy Adams (born 1940), Canadian author, newspaper columnist, human rights activist, and academic
* Samuel Hopkins Adams (1871–1958), American journalist and short story writer
* Sarah Fuller Flower Adams (1805–1848), English poet, hymn writer

### Music

* Ben Adams (born 1981), British singer, member of the boy band A1
* Bryan Adams (born 1959), Canadian singer, guitarist, and songwriter
* Charlie Adams (drummer) (born 1954), American musician
* Dave Adams (musician) (1938–2016), English musician and songwriter
* Derroll Adams (1925–2000), American folk musician
* Gregory Adams (born 1987), American musician, guitarist, and songwriter
* India Adams (1927–2020), American singer
* Jim Adams, American thrash metal guitarist with the band Defiance
* John Adams (composer) (born 1947), American minimalist composer
* John Luther Adams (born 1953), American composer
* Johnny Adams (1932–1998), American R&B singer
* Louise Adams (born 1983), Australian musician
* Oleta Adams (born 1953), American soul and jazz singer
* Pepper Adams (1930–1986), American jazz saxophonist and composer
* Pierrette Adams (born 1962), singer from the Republic of the Congo
* Ryan Adams (born 1974), American alternative-country and rock and roll singer/songwriter
* Ryan Adams (born 1993), birth name of Rylo Rodriguez, American rapper
* Suzanne Adams (1872–1953), American operatic soprano
* Victoria Adams (born 1974), birth name of British pop singer Victoria Beckham, known as "Posh Spice"
* William James Adams Jr. (born 1975), birth name of will.i.am, American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer
* Yolanda Adams (born 1961), American gospel singer

### Art and photography

* Ansel Adams (1902–1984), American photographer
* Arthur Adams (comics) (born 1963), American comic book artist
* Clinton Adams (1918–2002), American painter and lithographer
* Elinor Proby Adams (1885–1945), English painter
* Gina Adams (born 1965), Ojibwe-American cross-media artist and activist
* Harriet Isabel Adams (1863–1952), British artist and scientific illustrator
* Herbert Adams (sculptor) (1858–1945), American sculptor
* Igshaan Adams (born 1982), South African textile artist
* J. Ottis Adams (1851–1927), American Impressionist painter
* JJ Adams (born 1978), British mixed media artist
* Lee Adams (born 1970), British performance artist
* Mark Adams (artist) (1925–2006), American painter, mosaicist
* Mark Adams (photographer) (born 1949), New Zealand photographer
* Marta Adams (1891–1978), German painter, sculptor
* Neal Adams (1941–2022), American comic book artist
* Phoebe Adams (born 1953), American visual artist
* Robert Adams (photographer) (born 1937), American photographer
* Scott Adams (born 1957), cartoonist and creator of the Dilbert comic strip
* Theo Adams (born 1989), British performance artist
* Tracey Adams (born 1954), American expressionist painter
* Wayman Elbridge Adams (1883–1959), American portrait painter

### Dance

* Precious Adams, American ballet dancer

### Drama and television

* Abel Adams (1879–1938), Finnish film producer
* Amy Adams (born 1974), American actress
* Beverly Adams (born 1945), Canadian-born actress
* Brian Adams (wrestler) (1964–2007), American professional wrestler
* Brooke Adams (born 1949), American actress
* Carol Adams (1918–2012), American actress
* Cecily Adams (1958–2004), American actress, daughter of Don Adams
* Chris Adams (1955–2001), English model and professional wrestler
* CJ Adams (born 2000), American actor
* Don Adams (1923–2005), American actor, comedian and director
* Edie Adams (1927–2008), American comedienne, actress, singer and businesswoman
* Fran Adams, American actress
* Jane Adams (born 1965), American actress
* Joey Adams (1911–1999), American author and comedian
* Joey Adams (born 1968), American actress
* Julie Adams (1926–2019), American actress
* Kathryn Adams (1893–1959), American silent film actress
* Kelly Adams (born 1979), English actress
* Marla Adams (1938–2024), American actress
* Mary Kay Adams (born 1962), American actress
* Maud Adams (born 1945), Swedish model and actress
* Maude Adams (1872–1953), American stage actress
* Nick Adams (1931–1968), American actor and screenwriter
* Patrick J. Adams (born 1981), Canadian actor
* Stanley Adams (1915–1977), American actor and film writer
* Stella Adams (1883–1961), American actress
* Toni Adams (1964–2010), American professional female wrestler
* Tony Adams (born 1940), Welsh actor
* Trudy Adams, American actress and professional wrestler

### Models

* Stephanie Adams (1970–2018), American Playboy model and author

### Military

* Charles Francis Adams Jr. (1835–1915), Civil War General and president of the Union Pacific Railroad
* Charles Francis Adams III (1866–1954), U.S. Navy secretary
* Daniel Weisiger Adams (1821–1872), Civil War Confederate General
* Donald E. Adams (1921–1952), American pilot and Korean War flying ace
* James Frank Adams (1844–1922), Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
* John G. B. Adams (1841–1900), Civil War Officer and Medal of Honor recipient
* Robert Bellew Adams (1856–1928), Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross
* Samuel Adams (naval officer) (1912–1942), U.S. Navy officer

### Science, medicine, and engineering

* Amanda Adams (born 1976), American author and archaeologist
* Arthur Adams (1820–1878), British physician and naturalist
* Charles Hitchcock Adams (1868–1951), U.S. astronomer
* Clarence Raymond Adams (1898–1965), American mathematician
* Douglas Q. Adams, American linguist
* Edward Dean Adams (1846–1931), American engineer, financier, and scientist, Niagara Falls hydroelectric dam engineer, recipient of the 1926 John Fritz Medal
* Edwin Plimpton Adams (1878–1956), American physicist
* Emily Adams, molecular diagnostician
* Francis Adams (1796–1861), Scottish medical doctor and translator of Greek medical works
* Fred Adams (born 1961), American astrophysicist
* Henry Adams (1858–1929), American architectural engineer
* Henry Percy Adams (1865–1930), English architect
* Jean Adams, epidemiologist
* Johann Friedrich Adam (1780–1838), Russian botanist known by the author abbreviation "Adams"
* John Bodkin Adams (1899–1983), Irish-British physician and suspected serial killer
* John Couch Adams (1819–1892), British mathematician and astronomer
* Karl Adams (mathematician) (1811–1849), Swiss mathematician and teacher
* Matthew Algernon Adams (1836–1913), British medical doctor and chemist
* Michael J. Adams (1930–1967), American aviator and NASA astronaut
* Otto Eugene Adams (1889–1968), American architect
* Patch Adams (born 1945), American physician, social activist and clown
* Raymond Delacy Adams (1911–2008), American neurologist
* Robert Adams (1540–1595), British architect and surveyor
* Robert Adams (1809–1870), British firearms designer
* Robert McCormick Adams Jr. (1926–2018), U.S. anthropologist
* Roger Adams (1889–1971), American organic chemist
* Stewart Adams (chemist) (1923–2019), British chemist
* Tarn Adams (born 1978), American mathematician and indie video game creator
* Thomas Adams (1871–1940), Scottish architect and urban planner
* Walter Sydney Adams (1876–1956), US astronomer
* William Adams (locomotive engineer) (1823–1904), British locomotive engineer
* William Adams (oculist) (1783–1827), British ophthalmic surgeon
* William Bridges Adams (1797–1872), British author, inventor, and locomotive engineer

### Other

* Adams baronets, a 17th and 18th century English baronetcy
* Barbara Adams (Egyptologist) (1945–2002), British Egyptologist
* Callum Adams (fl. 1981–Present), Youtuber, Musician, Husband of Game developer Thomas Hawley
* Charles Francis Adams IV (1910–1999), American: president of Raytheon Company
* Charles Kendall Adams (1835–1902), American educator and historian
* Charlotte Adams (1859–?), Australian, first European woman to climb to the peak of Mount Kosciuszko
* Clifford Adams (fl. 1990s–2010s), computer programmer
* Eliphalet Adams (1677–1753), American Puritan minister
* Herbert Baxter Adams (1850–1901), American educator and historian
* Jane Kelley Adams (1852–1924), American educator
* JiDion Adams (born 2000), American Christian YouTuber and streamer
* John Adams (mutineer) (1766–1829), last survivor of the Bounty mutineers who settled on Pitcairn Island
* Kevin Adams (born 1962), American theatrical lighting designer
* Marcel Adams (1920–2020), Canadian real estate investor, billionaire, and Holocaust survivor
* Mary Ann Adams, or Kudnarto, the first Aboriginal woman to marry a British settler in the colony of South Australia in 1848
* Richard Adams (businessman) (born 1946), British fair trade organisation founder
* Richard Adams (religious writer) (c. 1626–1698), non-conforming English Presbyterian divine
* Robert Merrihew Adams (1937–2024), American philosopher
* Rolan Adams (1975–1991), victim of racially motivated murder in Southeast London
* Samuel Adams, American beer company
* Scott Adams (game designer) (born 1952), American computer game designer and programmer
* Shorland Adams (c1605–1664), British priest
* Thomas William Adams (1842–1919), New Zealand forestry pioneer
* Trudie Adams (born 1959), American woman who has been missing since 1978
* Weaver W. Adams (1901–1963), American chess player
* William Adams (pilot) (1564–1620), English navigator and first Briton to reach Japan
* William Adams (Master of Pembroke) (1706–1789), English Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
* Zabdiel Adams (1739–1801), American minister and writer, cousin of President John Adams

### Disambiguation lists

* Andrew Adams
* Arthur Adams
* Bert Adams
* Brian Adams
* Charles Adams
* Charles Francis Adams
* Chris Adams
* Colin Adams
* Craig Adams
* Daniel Adams
* David Adams
* Don Adams
* Douglas Adams
* Edward Adams
* Francis Adams
* Frank Adams
* George Adams
* Greg Adams
* Henry Adams
* Herbert Adams
* James Adams
* Jimmy Adams
* John Adams
* Joseph Adams
* Keith Adams
* Lee Adams
* Mark Adams
* Matthew Adams
* Michael Adams
* Mike Adams
* Neil Adams
* Nick Adams
* Patrick Adams
* Paul Adams
* Richard Adams
* Rick Adams
* Robert Adams
* Roger Adams
* Samuel Adams
* Scott Adams
* Stanley Adams
* Stephen Adams
* Steve Adams
* Terry Adams
* Thomas Adams
* Tom Adams
* Tony Adams
* Walter Adams
* William Adams