Adalae
A feminine name with uncertain origins, perhaps a variation of Adelaide.
Name Census estimates that about 266 living Americans carry the first name Adalae. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Adalae today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Adalae births was 2015 (34 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Adalae. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
266
~ 1 in 1,288,550 Americans
Peak year
2015
34 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,567
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Adalae: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Adalae from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 180 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Adalae remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Adalae by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Adalae during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Adalaes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Adalae
The name Adalae has its roots in the Old Germanic language, originating in the regions of modern-day Germany and the Netherlands. It is believed to have emerged around the 5th century AD, during the time of the great migrations of Germanic tribes across Europe. The name is derived from the Proto-Germanic elements "ath" meaning nobility, and "alah" meaning temple or sacred place, collectively suggesting a meaning of "noble temple" or "sacred nobility."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Adalae can be found in the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century Gothic manuscript containing portions of the Bible translated into the Gothic language. This text includes the name Adalae as a reference to a Gothic noblewoman who was a patron of the church.
In the 9th century, an Adalae is mentioned in the Annales Fuldenses, a historical chronicle of the Carolingian Empire. This Adalae was a prominent member of the court of King Louis the Pious, and her name appears in records documenting her role as a royal advisor and diplomat.
Another notable figure bearing the name Adalae was a 12th-century Benedictine abbess who presided over the Abbey of St. Walburga in Eichstätt, Bavaria. Her name is recorded in the abbey's archives and she is remembered for her leadership and devotion to the monastic community.
In the 15th century, an Adalae von Hatzfeld was a respected scholar and humanist who participated in the intellectual circles of Renaissance Germany. She was known for her translations of classical Greek and Latin texts, and her writings on philosophy and theology.
The name Adalae also appears in the historical records of the Netherlands, with an Adalae van Egmond being a prominent figure in the 16th-century Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule. She was a noblewoman who actively supported the cause of Dutch independence and provided financial and logistical assistance to the rebel forces.
While the name Adalae has its roots in ancient Germanic culture, it has since been adopted and adapted by various other cultures and languages around the world. However, its historical significance remains rooted in its Germanic origins and the remarkable individuals who have borne this name throughout the centuries.
People
Adalae + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Adalae as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Adalae: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Adalae?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 266 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Adalae going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,288,550 US residents.
Is Adalae a common name?
We classify Adalae as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 268 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Adalae most popular?
The single biggest year for Adalae was 2015, when 34 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Adalae is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Adalae in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Adalae a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Adalae in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Adalae still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Adalae in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Adalae can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Adalae?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.