Find out how popular the first name Adela has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Adela by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Adela is exclusively a female name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 215 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Adela.

The history of the first name Adela

The name Adela is a feminine given name of Germanic origin, derived from the Old German words "adal" meaning "noble" and "hildy" meaning "battle." It first emerged in the medieval period, around the 8th century, and was commonly used among the nobility and ruling classes of various Germanic tribes and kingdoms.

The earliest recorded use of the name Adela can be traced back to the 9th century, when it was borne by Adela of Pfalzel, a Frankish noblewoman and the daughter of King Louis the German. Another notable bearer of the name was Adela of Blois (1067-1137), a Countess of Blois and one of the most powerful and influential women of her time in medieval France.

In the 12th century, the name gained popularity in England, where it was often spelled as "Adelina" or "Alina." One of the most famous bearers of the name from this period was Adela of Normandy (1067-1137), the daughter of William the Conqueror and the wife of Stephen, King of England.

The name Adela also appeared in various literary works and historical records throughout the Middle Ages, such as the Nibelungenlied, an epic poem from medieval German literature, where it was the name of one of the main characters.

Other notable historical figures named Adela include:

1. Adela of Hamaland (c. 875-923), a Frankish noblewoman and the mother of Emperor Otto I of Germany.
2. Adela of Lotharingia (c. 950-1015), a German noblewoman and the wife of King Hugh Capet of France.
3. Adela of Meissen (1160-1211), a German noblewoman and the wife of King Ottokar I of Bohemia.
4. Adela of Normandy (1067-1137), the daughter of William the Conqueror and the wife of Stephen, King of England.
5. Adela of Burgundy (c. 1103-1162), the daughter of Duke Odo I of Burgundy and the wife of King Louis VI of France.

While the name Adela fell out of widespread use in many parts of Europe after the Middle Ages, it continued to be used in some regions, particularly in Germany and parts of Eastern Europe, where it evolved into various regional spellings and forms, such as "Adela" in Polish and "Adéla" in Czech.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Adela was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Adela, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!