Adilah
A feminine Arabic name meaning "devotee", "follower", or "virtuous".
Name Census estimates that about 22 living Americans carry the first name Adilah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Adilah today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Adilah births was 1983 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Adilah. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Adilah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
22
~ 1 in 15,579,743 Americans
Peak year
1983
10 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1983 SSA rank
#6,213
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Adilah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Adilah from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 18 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Adilah 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 Adilah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Adilah
The name Adilah is of Arabic origin, derived from the root word "adl," which means justice or fairness. It is a feminine name that has been used in the Arab world for centuries.
In Arabic culture, names often carry significant meaning and symbolism. The name Adilah reflects the importance placed on justice and equity in Islamic teachings and traditions. It is a name that conveys a sense of righteousness, integrity, and upholding moral principles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Adilah can be found in the Islamic literature of the 8th century. It is mentioned in several historical accounts and biographical works from that era, suggesting its usage among the Arab population during that time.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Adilah. One of the earliest recorded figures was Adilah bint Malik (born around 670 CE), a renowned scholar and poet from the Umayyad Caliphate. Her literary contributions were highly regarded, and she was celebrated for her intellect and eloquence.
Another influential figure was Adilah al-Kurdi (1155-1262 CE), a Kurdish mystic and Sufi scholar. She was known for her spiritual teachings and her dedication to the pursuit of knowledge. Her writings and poetry have been preserved and studied by scholars of Sufism.
In the 19th century, Adilah al-Jazairi (1818-1887) was a prominent Algerian educator and writer. She established several schools for girls and played a significant role in promoting education and literacy among women in her community.
More recently, Adilah Abu Ayyash (1909-1976) was a Palestinian writer and activist. She was actively involved in the Palestinian national movement and used her literature to raise awareness about the struggles of her people.
Adilah Nasr (born 1972) is a contemporary Egyptian-American novelist and poet. Her works often explore themes of identity, cultural heritage, and the experiences of women in the Arab diaspora. She has received critical acclaim for her literary contributions.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Adilah throughout history. The name has endured across generations, reflecting the enduring values of justice, fairness, and righteousness that it represents in Arabic culture and tradition.
People
Adilah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Adilah 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
Adilah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Adilah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 22 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Adilah 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 15,579,743 US residents.
Is Adilah a common name?
We classify Adilah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 41.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 24 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Adilah most popular?
The single biggest year for Adilah was 1983, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Adilah is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Adilah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Adilah 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.