Show ContentsAdolphus History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Adolphus is Anglo-Saxon in origin. It is derived from the Old German personal name Adalwuf, which is composed of the elements "adal," meaning "noble," and "wulf," meaning "wolf."

Early Origins of the Adolphus family

The surname Adolphus was first found in Kent, where the Adolphus family was anciently seated as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. However, many Saxon surnames survived, and the family name Adolphus was first referenced in the 13th century when the family held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Adolphus family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Adolphus research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Adolphus History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Adolphus Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Adolphus include Edolphe, Edolph, Edolp, Adolphe, Adolph, Adolf, Edolf, Edulf, Adulf and many more.

Early Notables of the Adolphus family

More information is included under the topic Early Adolphus Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Adolphus migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Adolphus were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Adolphus Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Isaac Adolphus, who landed in New York in 1758 1
Adolphus Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Nathaniel Adolphus, who settled in New York, NY in 1833
  • James Adolphus, who settled in Philadelphia in 1866

Contemporary Notables of the name Adolphus (post 1700) +

  • John Leycester Adolphus (1795-1862), English barrister-at-law and author, was the son of John Adolphus 2
  • John Adolphus (1768-1845), English barrister-at-law, historical and miscellaneous writer, of German extraction 2
  • Edward Adolphus Seymour (1804-1885), twelfth Duke of Somerset, English peer
  • Edward Adolphus Seymour (1775-1855), eleventh Duke of Somerset, English peer
  • William Adolphus Knell (d. 1875), English marine painter who first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1826
  • Ernest Adolphus Finney Jr. (1931-2017), first African-American Supreme Court Justice, Chief Justice of South Carolina (1994-2000)
  • Dozier Adolphus DeVane (1883-1963), American lawyer and jurist, Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida (1943–1947), Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida (1943–1958)
  • Norman Adolphus Mozley (1865-1922), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri (1895-1897)
  • Charles Adolphus Kiesler (1934-2002), American educator psychologist and university administrator, former dean of the Carnegie Mellon University College of Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Victor Adolphus Pépin (1780-1845), American circus performer and circus owner, co-founder of the Circus of Pépin and Breschard


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  2. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 17 Apr. 2019


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