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.

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
 * Jüri Adams (born 1947), Estonian politician
 * Lawrence Adams (politician) (1914–1994), American politician
 * Leo G. Adams (born 1937), American politician
 * 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
 * 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 (1934–1971), South African boxer of the 1950s and 1960s
 * 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, 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 (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, businessman
 * Bryan Adams (born 1959), Canadian singer, guitarist, and songwriter
 * Charlie Adams (drummer) (born 1954), American musician
 * Dave Adams (1938–2016), English musician and songwriter
 * Derroll Adams (1925–2000), American folk musician
 * India Adams (1927–2020), American singer
 * Jim Adams (musician) (born 1967), American, songwriter, heavy-metal guitarist with the band Defiance
 * John Adams (composer) (born 1947), American minimalist composer
 * John Luther Adams (born 1953), American composer
 * Louise Adams (born 1983), Australian musician
 * Oleta Adams (born 1962), 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), 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 artist
 * Mark Adams (photographer) (born 1949), New Zealand photographer
 * 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
 * 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
 * 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
 * Margaret Adams (born 1986), American former youtuber
 * 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 (born 1937), 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