Girl name · Germanic
Adele
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: noble oneAdele is a girl's name that comes from Germanic and means "noble one". It is used in Italian, English, French and German.
- Meaning
- Noble one
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- ah-DEH-leh (Italian)
Meaning and origin of Adele
As a girl's name, Adele comes from Germanic and means "noble one". It is used in Italian, English, French and German. In French it is spelled Adèle.
In French, say ah-DEL. In German, say ah-DAY-luh. In Italian, say ah-DEH-leh. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Adele on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Adele on 3 lists.
“Noble one; Germanic. No. 9 in France in 2025. Say ah-DEL”
From French girl names, popular French girl names right now
“Noble; Germanic adal. Say ah-DAY-luh”
From German girl names, traditional German female names
“Noble one; Germanic. Say ah-DEH-leh”
From Italian girl names, popular Italian girls' names right now
How popular is Adele?
- US rank in 2025
- #751
- 362 babies, 225 per million girls
- Best rank
- #187 in 1914
- Most babies: 1,030 in 1918
- Babies since 1880
- At least 42,362
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 570 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 674 per million |
| 1900s | 643 per million |
| 1910s | 844 per million |
| 1920s | 641 per million |
| 1930s | 382 per million |
| 1940s | 260 per million |
| 1950s | 201 per million |
| 1960s | 104 per million |
| 1970s | 65 per million |
| 1980s | 49 per million |
| 1990s | 48 per million |
| 2000s | 69 per million |
| 2010s | 230 per million |
| 2020s | 213 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #664 | #791 | #905 | #760 | #791 | #816 | #815 | #825 | #797 | #751 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Adele
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
Names spelled like Adele
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- AdaezePrincess, king's daughter (Igbo, girl)
- AdeolaCrown of wealth (Yoruba, girl)
- AegleLight, radiance (Greek, girl)
- AmelieWork, industrious (Germanic, girl)
- AndileThey have increased (Zulu, unisex)
- AngèleAngel, messenger (Greek, girl)
- AselHoney (Arabic, girl)
- AyeletGazelle, doe (Hebrew, girl)
- AyodeleJoy has come home (Yoruba, unisex)
Names with a similar meaning
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AdaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AdelaideNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AlfonsoNoble and ready (Gothic, boy)
- AlidaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AlisonNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AryaNoble, honorable (Sanskrit, unisex)
- AudreyNoble strength (Old English, girl)
Middle names for Adele
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Germanic
- EmmaWhole, universal (Germanic, girl)
- AlinaShort form of Adelina, Albina and names ending in -alina (Germanic, girl)
- CharlotteFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- LouiseFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
- CarlaFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- CarolineFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- HildaBattle, combat (Germanic, girl)
- MatildaStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
Adele: common questions
What does the name Adele mean?
Adele comes from Germanic and means "noble one".
Is Adele a boy or girl name?
Adele is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Adele come from?
Adele comes from Germanic and means "noble one". Today it is used in Italian, English, French and German.
How do you pronounce Adele?
In French, say ah-DEL. In German, say ah-DAY-luh. In Italian, say ah-DEH-leh. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Adele?
Adele ranked #751 in the US in 2025, with 362 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Adele?
Forms of Adele with the same meaning and origin include Addie (English), Adela (Spanish), Adelia (English), Adelina (Italian) and Adeline (English).
What middle names go with Adele?
Middle names that flow well with Adele include Belle, Blair, Celeste, Delphine and Heather. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.