The McAdams surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 11,547 people carried this name — #3,122 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 25,600 people counted. That is up 1% from 11,455 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the McAdams surname

A variant of McAdam.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «McAdams» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

29 families named McAdams, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 150 people lived in those households, 5.2 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

North Carolina 8
Pennsylvania 6
New Hampshire 5
South Carolina 5
New York 3
Virginia 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 251 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

McAdams in American newspapers,
1895–1903.

Newspaper page from The Freeman carrying the name McAdams
The Freeman 1895-08-03
Newspaper page from The Freeman carrying the name McAdams
The Freeman 1895-09-14
Newspaper page from New-york Tribune carrying the name McAdams
New-york Tribune 1903-07-12

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 57,200 pages in all carry the name.

In print

McAdams in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1980s.

554 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McAdams. The most, 156, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in South Australia, at 2.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

South Australia 159
New South Wales 144
Victoria 102
Queensland 82
Western Australia 44
Tasmania 12
ACT (Canberra) 8

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McAdams.

Who carried it

People named McAdams,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Billy McAdams 1934–2002 · association football player
  • John C. McAdams 1945–2021 · university teacher
  • Peter McAdams 1834–1926 · military personnel
  • Jack McAdams 1886–1937 · baseball player
  • Dean McAdams 1917–1996 · American football player

Wikidata (CC0).

In the public record

People named McAdams,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,204 records

1,204 records of the McAdams name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 428
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 320
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 197
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 132
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 48
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 40
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 32
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 3
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 3
  • Riverside Cemetery, Asheville (North Carolina) 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record William T. McAdams

    Born 1915 in South Carolina. Enlisted 1943 at New York City; driver from New York County, New York. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1994, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Edgar Gregory McAdams

    Born 1949; from Daphne, Alabama. U.S. Army, aircraft maintenance apprentice; killed in action 1969 in Chuong Thien, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Patrick McAdams

    Arrived at New York in 1884 aboard the City of Rome from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 20; laborer. From Monoghan, Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,204 records for McAdams in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada68 records

68 records of the McAdams name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 65
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 1
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 1
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Clar E. McAdams

    Died 1930 in Port Mouton, Queens, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Dorothy MArie McAdams

    Died 1944; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Ellis West McAdams

    Buried in 1948 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 68 records for McAdams in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Australia35 records

35 records of the McAdams name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 23
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 6
  • Tasmanian Names Index 5
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 1
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Julia McAdams

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Isabella, arriving 1840; certificate of freedom 1848.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John McAdams

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Maria, aged 23; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Mary Ann McAdams

    Married 1832 in Green Ponds, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 35 records for McAdams in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the McAdams name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Terrence McAdams

    Died 1897, aged 74; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Michael McAdams

    Died 1894, aged 31; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom2 records

2 records of the McAdams name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. McAdams

    Royal Scots Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 1 of 2 records for McAdams in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to McAdams.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McAdams is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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