'adamite' originates from the name 'Adam', the first man in the Bible, combined with the suffix '-ite', which denotes followers or adherents.

'Adamite' was used in the context of religious sects in the Middle Ages, referring to those who sought to emulate the innocence of Adam.

Initially, it referred to followers of Adam in a religious context, but it has also been used to describe those who practice nudity as a form of returning to innocence.