This page is historical. Follow this link for the current version.
Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources
☙

Adam m. Classical Hebrew אָדָם 'earth, soil; man', from Classical Hebrew אדמה 'red earth, ground'.

The name of the Biblical first man created by God and of an 11th C Italian saint. Wycliffite Bible (1395): Adam. Geneva Bible (1560): Adam. Sagradas Escrituras (1569): Adam, Adama, Adán.

The name was sometimes used as an anglicization of Gaelic Áedán (cf. Aidan).

The English diminutives Adcok, Adken, Adkyn, Atkyn, and Attkynare witnessed in 1379 in the relational bynames Adcoksoñ (WRYPT1 p. 289), Adkensoñ (WRYPT1 p. 44), Adkynsoñ (WRYPT1 p. 18), Atkynsoñ (WRYPT1 p. 23), and Attkynsoñ (WRYPT1 p. 43).

Belgium
Latin
● 1110 Adam (nom) CartStBert 4
Dutch
● 1597x1598 Adam BoonenGes p. 368
Brabant
Latin
● 1312 Adaem (nom) JeanIII p. 13, Adam (nom) ibid. p. 2, Ade (gen) ibid. p. 11
Czech Republic
Latin
● 1343 Adam (nom) Rössler2 294, p. 135; 1349 Adam (nom) chlumecky 15, Ade (dat) ibid. 95; 1350 Adam (nom) ibid. 170, Ade (gen) ibid. 165; 1351 Adam (nom) ibid. 31, Ade (dat) ibid. 14; 1353 Adam (nom) ibid. 67; 1358 Adam (nom) ibid. 234, p. 31
England
Latin
● c1145x1159 Adam (nom) EYC-3 1666; 1155 Adam (nom) FPD p. 121, fn. 1, Adæ (gen) ibid. p. 121, fn. 1; 1183 Adam (nom) BoldonBuke p. 9; 1185x1186 Adam (nom) PR-XXXVI p. 4, Ade (gen) ibid. p. 8; 1189 Adam (nom) GASurv p. 77, Ade (gen) ibid. p. 95; 1194 Ade (dat) RotCur-vol1 p. 5; c1198 Adam (nom) GASurv p. 242; 1222 Adam (nom) StPaulDom p. 15, Ade (gen) ibid. p. 11; 1256 Adam (nom) EARNb p. 6, Adæ (gen) ibid. p. 3; 1279–80 Ada (nom) WaHR-SK p. 41, Adam (nom) ibid. p. 54, Ade (dat) ibid. p. 35; 1296 Adam (nom) RCS-1 p. 93b, Ade (dat) ibid. p. 93b; 1299 Adam (nom) ComWil-vol1 p. 3; 1300 Adam (nom) ProcSuf-vol3 p. 232; 1302 Ada (nom) ComWil-vol1 p. 4, Adam (nom) ibid. p. 4; 1319 Adam (acc) PSS-CXIV 5a, Ade (gen) ibid. 5a; 1325 Adam (nom) ibid. 11, Ade (gen) ibid. 10f; 1327 Adam (abl) SaxhamSf p. 111; 1340xc1450 Adam (nom) CovGuild-1 p. 1, Ade (gen) ibid. p. 2; 1341 Adam (nom) SaxhamSf p. 111; 1377 Adam (nom) FenPT-2 p. 5; 1379 Adam (nom) WRYPT1 p. 2; 1381 Adam (nom) FenPT-2 p. 6, Suffolk1381 p. 68, Adami (gen) ibid. p. 87, Adamo (abl) ibid. p. 100, Ade (nom) ibid. p. 96; 1395 Adam (abl) EEW p. 10; 1408 Adam (nom) GCCYork p.11; 1436 Adam (dat) WillsInv LIX; 1485–1486 Ade (abl) CovGuild-2 p. 57
Dutch
● 1576 Adam AuFr Boddens; 1578 Adam ibid. Billen; 1579 Adam ibid. Bolten
Middle English
● 1418 Adam EEW p. 29; 1426 Adam ibid. p. 74; 1434 Adam ibid. p. 98
Early Modern English
● 1525/6 Adam LIWill-III p. 1; 1530 Adam ibid. p. 64; 1532–1533 Adam CovGuild-2 p. 123; 1542 Adam StAnthonlin p. 3; 1547 Adam BarnstapleBap p. 5; 1549 Adam StNick-Sf p. 2; 1557 Adda RegSASel p. 2; 1560/1 Adda ibid. p. 7; 1562 Adam bruton-vol1 p. 32; 1582 Adam BUmar-vol9 p. 7; 1586 Adam OrpingtonKe p. 7; 1588 Adam BEmar-vol2 p. 69; 1591/2 Adam BEmar-vol1 p. 15; 1593 Adam OrpingtonKe p. 9; 1596 Adam BEmar-vol2 p.96; 1598 Adam Bar-in-El p. 33, DEmar-vol2 p. 37
Estonia
Middle Low German
◑ 1437 Daem BbRT p. 360
France
Latin
● 1101x1129 Adam (nom) CartStPC XXIII; 1125 Ade (gen) NDParisII 2-XLVII; 1143 Adam (nom) clairvaux-12thc 10; 1147 Adam (abl) CartNDdOurscamp XCVII, (nom) clairvaux-12thc 15; 1159 Adam (nom) ibid. 37; c1175–1180 Adam (nom) ChartCaen2 p. 61; 1180 Adam (acc) RotScaNor p. 15; 1188 Adam (nom) CartNDdOurscamp XCIV; 1206 Ade (gen) ibid. LVIII; 1214 Ade (gen) ibid. CXLI; 1220 Adam (nom) NDParisII 2-LXVIII; 1222 Adam (nom) CartNDdOurscamp XXXVIII, Ade (gen) NDParisII 2-XCI; 1255 Adam (nom) ArrestReg-volI I, Candlemas; 1257 Adam (nom) ibid. I, BMV, Adame (gen) ibid. IX, BMV; 1258 Adam (nom) ibid. XVI, BMV, Ade (gen) ibid. III, Candlemas; 1270 Adam (nom) NDParisII 2-XLI, Ade (gen) CartNDdOurscamp CLVII; 1295 Adam (nom) HistHdVParis p. 130; 1300 Ade (gen) CartNDdOurscamp LXIX; 1301 Adam (nom) MemPic-vol17 p. 203, Adams (nom) ibid. p. 231, Adans (nom) ibid. p. 227, Ade (gen) ibid. p. 203; 1378 Adaems (gen) hanquetvol1 1649, Ade (dat) ibid. 424
Old French
● 1291 Adan (obl) HistHdVParis p. 108; 1292 Adan (obl) ibid. p. 111; 1293 Adan (obl) ibid. p. 118; c1294 Adam (obl) ibid. p. 125; 1294 Adam (obl) ibid. p. 126, Adan (obl) ibid. p. 126; 1295 Adan (obl) ibid. p. 129; 1296 Adam paris1296 p. 3, (obl) HistHdVParis p. 133, Adan (obl) ibid. p. 131; 1297 Adam (obl) ibid. p. 136, Adan (obl) ibid. p. 136; 1298 Adam (obl) ibid. p. 141; c1298 Adan (obl) ibid. p. 138; 1298 Adan (obl) ibid. p. 140; 1299 Adam (obl) ibid. p. 146, Adan (obl) ibid. p. 146; 1301 Adan (obl) MemPic-vol17 p. 241; 1313 Adan Paris1313 p. 2
◑ 1280 Adenot (obl) HistHdVParis p. 105; 1296 Adenot paris1296 p. 42; 1313 Adenet Paris1313 p. 88
Middle French
● 1388 Adam thierry; 1418 Adam DdB1418 p. 198, HGParis p. 374; 1421 Adam favier 587; 1423 Adam ibid. 34; 1438 Adam ibid.; 1504 Adam HistHdVParis no. 6; 1562 Adam RegPCC-1 p. 8; 1563 Adam ibid. p. 41, Adan ibid. p. 43; 1564 Adam ibid. p. 45, Adan ibid. p. 77; 1566 Adam ibid. p. 208; 1567 Adam ibid. p. 309; 1568 Adam ibid. p. 415; 1587 Adam RTFProvins 251
◑ 1418 Adenet DdB1418 p. 202, HGParis p. 378; 1421 Adenet favier 425; 1423 Adenet ibid. 64; 1438 Adenet ibid. 267, Adenin ibid. 74
Germany
Latin
● 790x814 Adam (nom) HambUrk-vol1 III; 963x1023 Ada (gen) TradCorb §225; 1151 Adam (nom) mairhofer XL; 1196 Adam (abl) quix-vol1 68; 1322 Adam (gen) SMM p. 156
Early New High German
● 1497 Adam Nurn1497 p. 1
Hungary
Latin
● 1303 Adam (nom) Slíz p. 13; 1321 Odon (nom) ibid. p. 13; 1322 Odun ibid. p. 13; 1324 Adam (nom) ibid. p. 13; 1332–1337 Adam (nom) ibid. p. 13; 1340 Adam (nom) ibid. p. 13; 1341 Adam (nom) ibid. p. 13
Ireland
Latin
● fin12thC Ada (nom) MunDocIr III, p. 8, Adam (nom) ibid. III, p. 5, Ade (gen) ibid. III, p. 7; 1432 Ade (gen) RegOct 103; 1490/1 Adam (nom) ibid. 3, Ade (gen) ibid. 3; 1491 Adam (nom) ibid. 4; 1496 Ada (abl) ibid. 35
Italy
Latin
● 1265x1339 Adammi (gen) BBC-Berg 137; 1279 Adammi (gen) ibid. p. XLIII; 1288 Adammi (gen) ibid. p. XLIV; 1295 Adammus (nom) ibid. p. XLV; 1376 Adano (abl) DouGen1 p. 169, Adanus (nom) ibid. p. 254; 1464 Adanus (nom) CUP-III-I CCXXXI; 1478 Adam (nom) RCCaetani6 2720, Addam (nom) ibid. 2720; 1522x1532 Adam (nom) DSF p. 54, 58
Latvia
Latin
● 1290 Adam (nom) RigSB 20; 1294 Adam (nom) ibid. 53; 1296 Adam (nom) ibid. 65; 1297 Adam (nom) ibid. 76, Ade (dat) ibid. 260; 1299 Adam (nom) ibid. 86
Middle Low German
● 1565x1577 Adams Arbusow p. 97
Lithuania
Polish
● 1551x1555 Adama (gen) Kaunas2006 p. 85
The Netherlands
Dutch
● 1579 Adams (gen) MagMiddelburg-1560; 1580 Adams (gen) ibid.; 1581 Adams (gen) ibid.
Scotland
Latin
● c1120 Adam (abl) ESC XXXV; 1174x99 Ada (abl) CartLevenax p. 12; a1177 Adam (abl) CartNBer 3; 1214–1226 Ada (abl) morton-vol1 2, Adam (abl) ibid. 1; 1238 Ada (abl) CartStAndrew p. 2; 1376 Adam (nom) morton-vol1 16; c1377 Adam (abl) ibid. 4; 1424 Adam (abl) RMSRS-2 3, Ade (gen) ibid. 18; 1425 Adam (abl) ibid. 27, Ade (dat) ibid. 34
Scots
● 1376 Ade (unc) morton-vol1 16; c1550 Adamis (gen) CartNBer p. xxv
Sweden
Latin
● 1350 Adam (dat) SDHK no. 6023
Ukraine
Latin
● 1469 Adam (nom) AGZ-18 21
Wales
Latin
● 1247 Adam (abl) ArchCambIII p. 228; 1452 Adda (nom) ibid. p. 72; 1454 Adda (nom) ibid. p. 71; 1455 Adda (nom) ibid. p. 258
Early Modern English
● 1578 Adam RegLlantrithyd p. 61; 1582 Adam ibid. p. 33
Cite as: R. Le Get, N. Shiel, M. Slíz, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Adam". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2017, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2017/1/name/Adam.