Adele

About Adele

Adele is a Germanic-rooted name meaning noble. Used in German, English, and Italian, it has a short English pronunciation but a longer rhythm in the other two languages. The singer known simply as Adele gives it an unmistakable modern association, while dancer Adele Astaire connects it with an earlier era of musical theatre.

Meaning and name family

Adele is a form of Adela, which began as a shortening of names containing the Germanic element adal, meaning noble. The root belongs to a large European name family.

Adela and Adelle are close alternatives. French Adèle adds an accent, while Adelina and Adeline preserve longer forms from the same family.

The name's history predates its modern musical fame. Its early-twentieth-century American popularity also shows that Adele was already established well before the singer's career began.

Pronunciation across languages

English Adele is usually uh-DEL, with two syllables and stress on the second. The final written e is silent.

German Adele has three syllables, approximately ah-DAY-luh. Italian also has three, approximately ah-DEL-eh. In both, the ending remains audible rather than disappearing as it does in English.

That difference gives the same five-letter spelling more than one familiar rhythm. The English form ends on its strongest syllable, while the German and Italian forms continue into a final vowel.

The singer Adele

Adele Adkins performs under her first name alone. She won her first two Grammys in 2009: Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “Chasing Pavements.”

Her album 21 became her first American chart-topping album, and “Rolling in the Deep” helped establish her international audience. At the 2017 Grammys, 25 won Album of the Year and “Hello” won Record of the Year.

The recognition continued with the 2023 award for Best Pop Solo Performance for “Easy on Me.” Those awards connect Adele with several different recording periods rather than one breakthrough song.

Her use of a single first name has made this old European form especially recognizable on contemporary album covers and concert announcements.

Adele Astaire

Adele Astaire supplies a substantial stage association from the 1920s and early 1930s. Her Broadway credits include Lady, Be Good!, which opened in 1924, and Funny Face, which opened in 1927.

She also appeared in The Band Wagon in 1931. These were original stage productions, placing her first name within the history of Broadway musical performance.

The theatrical bearer gives Adele a public history stretching back long before its recent recording association. Together, the two performers connect the same spelling with different generations of entertainment.

American popularity

Adele's largest American girls' count was 1,030 in 1918. Its best rank was 187 in 1914.

Use later fell to ninety-four births in 2000 before increasing again. There were 362 girls named Adele in 2025, ranking 751. Its recent use follows an older American high point rather than representing the name's first arrival.

How popular is Adele?

In 2025, Adele ranked #751 among girls in the United States, with 362 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1880; its largest annual count was 1,030 in 1918. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.