Adelai
A feminine name of Spanish origin meaning "noble", or "nobility".
Name Census estimates that about 257 living Americans carry the first name Adelai. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Adelai today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Adelai births was 2011 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Adelai. 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
257
~ 1 in 1,333,674 Americans
Peak year
2011
19 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,943
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Adelai: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Adelai 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 149 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Adelai remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Adelai 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 Adelai during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Adelais live
Origin
Meaning and history of Adelai
The name Adelai is believed to have originated from the Greek language, with its roots traced back to the 5th century BC. It is derived from the Greek word "adelfi," which means "sister" or "female sibling." The name was likely used as a term of endearment or affection among Greek families.
In ancient Greek literature, there are references to characters with names similar to Adelai, such as Adelaida and Adelaides. These names were often given to women of noble or royal descent, as they symbolized a sense of sisterhood and kinship within the ruling elite.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Adelai can be found in the writings of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, who lived from 428 BC to 348 BC. In his work "The Republic," Plato mentions a character named Adelai, although the specific context is not entirely clear.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Adelai. One such figure was Adelai of Burgundy (1109-1190), a French noblewoman who served as the Countess of Vergy and played a significant role in the political affairs of her time.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Adelai of Louvain (1190-1212), who was a princess of the Duchy of Brabant and the wife of Henry I, Duke of Brabant. Her marriage helped strengthen diplomatic ties between the two noble houses.
In the realm of literature, the name Adelai was immortalized by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) in his epic work "The Divine Comedy." One of the characters encountered in the poem is a woman named Adelai, though her precise role and significance are subject to scholarly debate.
During the Renaissance period, Adelai Soranzo (1465-1541) was a prominent Venetian noblewoman and patron of the arts. She was renowned for her patronage of artists and intellectuals, and her influence helped shape the cultural landscape of Venice during that time.
In more recent centuries, the name Adelai has been less prevalent, though there have been notable figures such as Adelai Neville (1675-1715), an English noblewoman and courtier during the reign of Queen Anne.
While the name Adelai has roots in ancient Greek culture and has been borne by individuals throughout history, it has become less common in modern times. However, its rich historical legacy and symbolic meaning of sisterhood and kinship continue to resonate with those who choose to carry this name.
People
Adelai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Adelai 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
Adelai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Adelai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 257 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Adelai 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 1,333,674 US residents.
Is Adelai a common name?
We classify Adelai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 259 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Adelai most popular?
The single biggest year for Adelai was 2011, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Adelai is about 12 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 Adelai in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Adelai a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Adelai 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 Adelai still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Adelai 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 Adelai 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 Adelai?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.