Adeline Overview
- Meaning: Adeline means “noble” or “noblewoman.”
- Gender: Adeline is a feminine name with some unisex variations.
- Origin: Adeline derives from the German root word “adel” and the French suffix “-ine.” It is a diminutive of the name Adele.
- Pronunciation: Adeline is pronounced “AD-uhl-eyen” or “AD-uh-leyen.”
- Popularity: Adeline is a popular name for girls, ranking #100 in the US in 2020.
- Nicknames: Ada, Addy, Adele, Alina, Ayda, Delia, Elene, Elle, Lena, Line.
- Variations: Aada, Adalene, Adalyn, Adeleine, Adelita, Adelin, Adelina, Adelyn, Alina, Alita.
- Namesakes: Adaline Bowman, Adeline Dutton Train Whitney, Adeline Genée, Adeline Gray, Adeline Hazan, Adeline Pond Adams, Adeline Yen Mah.
What Does Adeline Mean?
Adeline stems from the German root word “adel,” meaning “nobility,” “noble family,” or “peerage” (1). “Adel” is derived from “atheling,” meaning “member of a noble family.” The second half of the name comes from the French suffix “-ine.”
What Is the Origin of the Name Adeline?
Adeline has both French and German origins. Adeline was first introduced as a diminutive variant of the French girl name “Adele.”
The name Adeline spread from France to England and the rest of Europe during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.
How Popular is the Name Adeline?
Adeline and some of its variants were very popular names through the Middle Ages until the Victorian Gothic era. It was also a popular choice at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
At present, Adeline is a popular name in the United States. According to the Social Security Administration, Adeline was the 100th most used girl’s name in 2020 (2). Comparatively, Adeline was the 805th most used girl’s name in 2000, just 20 years prior.
Adeline was most popular in 2016, ranking at #63, compared to #135 in 2015. This sudden bump in popularity is accredited to Adeline Gray, an American wrestler who competed in the 2016 Olympics after winning her third world championship in 2015 (3). The rise in popularity may also be accredited to “The Age of Adaline,” a movie that was released in 2015.
How Do I Pronounce Adeline?
The name Adeline is pronounced “AD-uhl-eyen” or “AD-uh-leyen.” It is pronounced like the words “add a line.”
Is Adeline a Boy or Girl Name?
Adeline is predominantly a feminine name. Though it’s mostly only given to girls, Adeline is technically unisex. Some boys have been named Adeline in the United States, though cases are rare.
Variations of Adeline
Being a variation of a name itself, Adeline has acquired numerous variations across different languages.
- Aada (Finnish)
- Ada (Turkish)
- Adalene (German)
- Adalyn (German)
- Adalynn (German)
- Adeleine (French)
- Adelita (Spanish)
- Adelin (French)
- Adelina (Spanish)
- Adelyn (English)
- Alina (Slavic)
- Aline (German)
- Alita (English)
Nicknames for Adeline
Below are some of the best nicknames to give Adeline:
- Ada
- Addie
- Addy
- Adele
- Alina
- Ayda
- Delia
- Elene
- Elle
- Leena
- Lena
- Line
Similar Names to Adeline
Adeline may not be the name you are looking for. Below are some of the most similar names to give your newborn:
- Alberta
- Alice
- Arya
- Eliza
- Emmeline
- Laura
- Lisa
- Mia
- Patricia
- Pauline
Middle Names for Adeline
You may already have a middle name picked out. In case you don’t, here are a few middle names we think go great with Adeline:
- Ann
- Diane
- Emma
- Lucy
- Mae
- Marie
Sibling Names for Adeline
Below are some of the best sibling names to go alongside Adeline:
For a brother:
- Adam
- Albert
- Barron
- Patrick
- Quentin
- Theo
For a sister:
- Dakota
- Ethel
- Evangeline
- Leah
- Maeve
- Mona
- Sophia
Famous People Named Adeline
Various Adelines across history have given the name a positive association. Below are some of Adeline’s most notable namesakes:
- Adeline Dutton Train Whitney: American poet and author; best known for her books “Book of Rhymes,” “Mother Goose for Grown Folks, and “Faith Gartney’s Girlhood.”
- Adeline Genée: Danish-British ballet dancer; co-founder and first President of the Royal Academy of Dance.
- Adeline Gray: American freestyle wrestler; six-time women’s freestyle world champion; won a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics.
- Adeline Hazan: French politician and former mayor of Reims, France.
- Adeline Pond Adams: American writer, sculptor, and artist; best known for her books “John Quincy Adams Ward: An Appreciation” and “Sylvia;” wife of sculptor Herbert Adams.
- Adeline Yen Mah: Chine-American author, physician, and activist; best known for her book “Falling Leaves.”
Adeline in Popular Culture
Adeline is also a popular name in fiction. Below are the most notable uses of Adeline in popular culture:
- Adeline: Orange-haired character from the animated TV series “Duck Dodgers,” a spin-off of “Looney Tunes.”
- Adeline / “Addy”: Zombie apocalypse survivor and Hilltop resident in the AMC series “The Walking Dead.”
- Lady Adeline Amundeville: Respected member of a high society stuck in an unhappy marriage in Lord Byron’s poem “Don Juan.”
- Adaline Bowman: The main character diagnosed with a disorder that stops her from aging in the movie “The Age of Adaline,” based on a real person.
- Adeline (Jun-Ling / Wu-Mei): Main character in Adeline Yen Mah’s “Chinese Cinderella.”
Adeline FAQs
The following are some of the most frequently asked questions about the name Adeline.
Is Adeline a Royal Name?
The name Adeline means “nobility” and is often associated directly with royalty. Adeline is related to Adelaide, the name of the Queen of the United Kingdom in the 1830s.
Is the Name Adeline in the Bible?
Though Adeline wasn’t around during Biblical times, names believed to be connected to Adeline were. In the Bible, Adha (a name directly related to the modern name Adeline) was the name of two women: the mother of Jabal and Jubal; and the wife of Esau. Adha was the first woman’s name to appear in the Bible after Eve.
How Do You Say Adeline in French?
Adeline is generally spelled the same in France, aside from a few variations. In French, Adeline is pronounced with a “lean” sound at the end instead of a “line” sound.
