According to E. De Felice, Adami is a patronymic surname derived from the personal name Adamo (Adam), meaning “son or descendant of Adamo.” The name Adamo ultimately derives from the Hebrew Ādām, traditionally interpreted as “man,” “human being,” or “earthly one,” and is related to adāmā, meaning “earth” or “soil.” The name became widespread during the Middle Ages among Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic communities, aided in part by the veneration of saints named Adamo.

E. De Stefani agrees with this origin and further emphasizes the connection between the Hebrew adhamah (“earth”) and the biblical figure of Adam as the “earthly man.” He also notes parallels with the Latin words humus (“earth”) and homo (“man”). While the given name was relatively uncommon during the early centuries of Christianity, it became increasingly popular toward the end of the Middle Ages and eventually gave rise to numerous hereditary surnames.

Adami belongs to the large group of Italian surnames derived from the personal name Adamo and therefore originally identified the descendants of an ancestor bearing that name.