Adalaide
Of Germanic origin meaning "the noble and kind one".
Name Census estimates that about 390 living Americans carry the first name Adalaide. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Adalaide today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Adalaide births was 2024 (42 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Adalaide. 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
390
~ 1 in 878,857 Americans
Peak year
2024
42 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,629
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Adalaide: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Adalaide from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 189 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Adalaide remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Adalaide 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 Adalaide during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Adalaides live
Origin
Meaning and history of Adalaide
The name Adalaide has its origins in the Germanic languages, derived from the Old Germanic elements "adal" meaning "noble" and "heid" meaning "kind" or "sort." It is believed to have emerged during the early Middle Ages, around the 6th to 8th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Adalaide can be found in the Frankish chronicles of the 8th century, where it appears as "Adalheid." This form of the name was borne by several historical figures, including Adalheid of Louvain, a 12th-century countess of Louvain.
The name gained popularity in medieval France, where it was spelled as "Adelaïde." One of the most notable historical figures with this name was Adelaide of Aquitaine (952-1004), the queen consort of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great. She played a significant role in the political affairs of her time and was renowned for her intelligence and leadership.
In England, the name was introduced by the Normans after the Norman Conquest in 1066. It was initially rendered as "Adeliza" or "Adelina," and was borne by several prominent figures, such as Adeliza of Louvain (1103-1151), the second wife of King Henry I of England.
Another notable bearer of the name was Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (1792-1849), the queen consort of William IV of the United Kingdom. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her support for the abolition of slavery.
In the 19th century, the name Adalaide gained popularity in the United States, where it was often spelled as "Adelaide." One of the most famous Americans with this name was Adelaide Ames (1900-1932), an American stage and film actress who appeared in several silent movies.
As the name Adalaide spread across different cultures and languages, various spellings and variations emerged, such as Adelheid, Adelaida, Adelaïde, and Adelina. However, the core meaning of the name remained rooted in its Germanic origins, signifying nobility and kindness.
People
Adalaide + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Adalaide 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
Adalaide: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Adalaide?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 390 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Adalaide 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 878,857 US residents.
Is Adalaide a common name?
We classify Adalaide as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 417 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Adalaide most popular?
The single biggest year for Adalaide was 2024, when 42 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Adalaide is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Adalaide a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Adalaide 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.
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.