MacAdam History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland/England
England
Ireland
Scotland

MacAdam is one of the oldest family names to come from the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the given name Adam, which is itself derived from the Latin name Adamus which means earth.

Early Origins of the MacAdam family

The surname MacAdam was first found in many counties throughout England and Scotland.

"Six centuries ago Adam probably ranked as second or third favourite among boys' names throughout England. In the north it attained a most remarkable pre-eminence." 1

Another source notes the name is "rare in the eastern and northern counties. In the north, however, its place is sometimes taken by Adamson and Addison, as in the county of Durham. It is at present best represented in Buckinghamshire, Devon, Hampshire, and Staffordshire, and in the counties on the Welsh border, Shropshire and Monmouthshire. " 2

Shortly after the Conquest, forenames were still rare, but for popular names such as this an appellation was typically added denoting "from where they hailed" or in some cases, an occupation. By example, Adam of Barking (fl. 1217?), was a Benedictine monk belonging to the abbey of Sherborne in Dorset; Adam of Buckfield (fl. 1300?), was an English commentator on Aristotle; Adam the Carthusian (fl. 1340) was described as a Carthusian monk and a doctor of theology; Adam of Domerham (d. after 1291), was a monk of Glastonbury, a native of Domerham, a village in Wiltshire belonging to Glastonbury Abbey; Adam de Marisco (d. 1257?), was a learned Franciscan, is said to have been a native of Somerset; and Adam of Orlton (d. 1345), successively bishop of Hereford, Worcester, and Winchester. 3

As far as early rolls are concerned, England and Scotland had the lion's share of early entries.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had the following entries: John filius Adam, Oxfordshire; Hugh filius Adam, Oxfordshire; German Adam, Cambridgeshire; and Juliana Adams, Huntingdonshire. Further to the north and over one hundred years later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Johannes Adamson; Johannes Adam; and Thomas Adamson. 1

In Scotland, "Adam sub-prior of Melrose became abbot of Cupar, 1189. Adam son of Adam was one of the witnesses to the charter by William Bruce to Adam of Carlyle of the lands of Kynemund, c. 1194-1214, and he also witnessed the resignation by Dunegal, son of Udard of a carucate of land in Warmanbie within the same period. Adam became abbot of Newbattle in 1201, and another Adam, a native of Lennox (Levenax), was a monk of great sanctity. " 4

Early History of the MacAdam family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacAdam research. Another 186 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1189, 1281, 1327, 1329, 1460, 1585, 1586, 1626, 1651, 1654, 1655, 1656, 1658, 1661, 1662, 1667, 1685, 1689, 1695, 1697, 1698, 1712, 1719, 1720, 1748, 1760, 1789, 1808, 1829, 1890 and 1891 are included under the topic Early MacAdam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacAdam Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name MacAdam has undergone many spelling variations, including Adam, Adams, MacAdam, MacAdams, MacCaw and others.

Early Notables of the MacAdam family

Notable amongst bearers of this family name during their early history was William Adams (1585-1661), London Haberdasher born in Newport, Shropshire, who founded Adams' Grammar School in 1656; Sir Thomas Adams, 1st Baronet (1586-1667), Lord Mayor of the City of London and a Member of Parliament for the City of London from 1654-1655 and...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacAdam Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the MacAdam family to Ireland

Some of the MacAdam family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 107 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacAdam migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name MacAdam were among those contributors:

MacAdam Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William MacAdam, aged 30, arrived in New York in 1892 aboard the ship "Circassia" from Londonderry, Ireland 5

MacAdam Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Isabel Bennett MacAdam, aged 26, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Adriatic" from Southampton, England 5
Francis Macadam, aged 27, originally from Buenos Aires, Argentine, arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Royal George" from Liverpool, England 5
Sydney E. Mac Adam, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Baltic" from Liverpool, England 5

Contemporary Notables of the name MacAdam (post 1700) +

Dr. David Lewis MacAdam (1910-1998), American physicist and color scientist who identified the MacAdam ellipse
J. E. L. MacAdam, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Ohio, 1956 6
David L. MacAdam, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York, 1964, 1974 6
David H. MacAdam, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Honolulu, Hawaii, 1917-26 6
Dr. John Macadam (1827-1865), Scottish-born, Australian chemist, medical teacher and politician, eponym of the genus Macadamia and Macadam
Reginald Alan MacAdam (b. 1952), Canadian retired professional NHL ice hockey player who played from 1973 to 1985
Sir Ivison Stevenson Macadam KCVO, CBE, FRSE (1894-1974), Scottish first Director-General of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), founding President of the National Union of Students
Kevin MacAdam (b. 1967), Canadian former politician and current political advisor

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html