Adele

The first name Adele (Adèle) is a female name that literally means 'the noble', 'the aristocratic', or 'the noblewoman'. It is also interpreted as 'the one from noble birth'. Originally, Adele comes from German and has also been widespread in French since the late 18th century.

What does the name Adele mean?

Adele (Adèle) translates to 'the noble', 'the aristocratic', or 'the noblewoman' and also refers to 'the one from noble birth'. The name originally comes from German and was adopted into French in the late 18th century. It is considered a variant of Adela and is also a pet form or independent short form of names that begin with 'Adel-', particularly Adelheid (also Adelheit), which has the extended meaning 'of noble nature'. The roots of the name lie in the Old High German language, where it derives from the word element adal, meaning 'noble', 'aristocratic', 'the nobility', 'of noble birth', 'noble lineage', or 'noble descent'. In Lithuania, the spelling Adelė is used, while the French variant is Adèle. An internationally known bearer of the name is the British pop singer Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, better known by her first name Adele. With over 100 million albums sold, she is one of the most successful artists of the 21st century. Some sources also connect the name with Old Persian (Indo-Iranian), where the similarly sounding name Adila is interpreted as 'the just'. Other variants include Adelia (Italian and Portuguese), Adelita (Spanish), Adeliana, Adelajda (Polish), Adelicia, Adelyta, Adelisa, and many more. Male forms of the name are Adelino and Adelaido.

Where does the name Adele come from?

The name Adele has its roots in Old High German and derives from the word stem adal, which means 'noble', 'aristocratic', 'the nobility', 'of noble birth', 'noble lineage', or 'noble descent'. It is sometimes considered a short form of Adelheid. In this context, the meaning 'of noble nature' arises from two Old High German elements.

How do you pronounce Adele?

The pronunciation of the name Adele is clear and consists of two syllables. In German, it is usually pronounced as 'A-de-le' [aˈdeːlə], with the first syllable beginning with an open A sound that conveys warmth. The second syllable is stressed and carries a long E sound, while the ending '-e' gently fades away. Adele radiates a classic and dignified presence, supported by its harmonious structure.

When is the name day of Adele?

The name day for Adele is celebrated on January 3 and December 24.

Popularity

Adele is among the sought-after first names in Germany. Currently, it ranks 374th on the list of the most common female baby names. Its best placement was in 1939, when it reached 179th place. In the last ten years, Adele has been chosen as a first name about 1,400 times, placing it 400th in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 381st.

Nicknames & pet names

Ad / Adde / Addi / Ade / Adehle / Adelchen / Adeli / Adelina / Adelja / Adi / Atsche / Dade / Dede / Dela / Delchen / Dele / Delelle / Deli / Didi

Famous people

• Adele (British singer)
• Adele Addison (* 1925), American soprano
• Adele Anderson (English actress)
• Adele Astaire (tap dancer, sister of Fred Astaire and dance partner in her youth)
• Adele aus der Ohe (American musician)
• Adele Beckmann (1816–1885), Italian soubrette, opera singer (soprano) and dancer
• Adele Berger (1868–1900), Austrian writer
• Adele Bloch-Bauer (1881–1925), Austrian businesswoman, model, and namesake of two paintings by Gustav Klimt
• Adele Bloesch-Stöcker (German violinist)
• Adele Christiaens (Belgian fencer)
• Adele d'Affry (Swiss painter)
• Adele de Osmond (French writer)
• Adele Deleeuw (American writer)
• Adele Elise Allram (1826–1861), Austrian actress
• Adele Elkan (German writer)
• Adele Emeli Sandé (singer)
• Adele Enersen (Finnish writer)
• Adele Esinger (Austrian painter)
• Adele Eva Goldberg (American linguist)
• Adele Exarchopoulos (French actress)