2010
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Adeli
A Persian surname derived from the Arabic word "adl," meaning "justice" or "fairness."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 170 Americans carry the last name Adeli. That puts it at #122,574 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,016,202 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Adeli surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
170
1 in 2,016,202
Census rank
#122,574
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
148
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 148 bearers of the surname Adeli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 122574th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Adeli, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.5%) and Two or More Races (8.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Adeli
The surname ADELI originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "adele," which means "noble" or "noble-born." This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals of noble or aristocratic descent.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in historical documents from regions such as Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, where it was commonly used by noble families and landowners. Some variations of the spelling include Adeli, Adelli, and Adele.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Adele di Canossa (1015-1088), a powerful Italian noblewoman and regent of the Holy Roman Empire. She played a significant role in the Investiture Controversy between the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire.
Another notable figure was Gian Girolamo Adeli (1540-1615), an Italian architect and sculptor from Bologna. He designed several notable buildings in his hometown, including the Church of San Giacomo Maggiore and the Palazzo dei Banchi.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in the writings of the renowned Italian poet Torquato Tasso, who mentioned an Adeli family in his epic poem "Gerusalemme Liberata."
During the Renaissance period, the Adeli family was prominent in the city of Florence. One member, Benedetto Adeli (1459-1525), was a respected humanist scholar and diplomat who served as an ambassador for the Medici family.
In the 18th century, Giovanni Battista Adeli (1703-1775) was a celebrated Italian painter from Bologna. He was known for his religious and mythological works, which can be found in various churches and galleries across Italy.
While the name has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its earliest and most significant historical connections can be traced back to the noble families and prominent figures of medieval and Renaissance Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Adeli
Among Census respondents with the surname Adeli, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.5%) and Two or More Races (8.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Adeli bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Adeli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.4% · 116
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.5% · 14
- Two or more races8.1% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 4
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Adeli
Adeli appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#122,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
+31 bearers (+26.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 19,534 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #122,574 | 148 | 0.05 | +31 bearers (+26.5%) | Up 19,534 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Adeli surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #142,108 | #122,574 | 13.7% |
| Count | 117 | 148 | 26.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Adeli bearers went from 117 to 148 (+26.5% change). The surname moved up 19,534 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #122,574.
FAQ
Adeli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Adeli?
Name Census estimates that about 170 living Americans carry the surname Adeli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,016,202 residents.
How common is Adeli?
Adeli ranks #122,574 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 148 people with the surname Adeli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (170), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Adeli.
Has Adeli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Adeli went from 117 recorded bearers to 148. That is an increase of 31 (+26.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #142,108 to #122,574.
What does the Census say about the background of Adeli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Adeli, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.5%) and Two or More Races (8.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Adeli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.4% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Adeli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.5%), Two or More Races (8.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Adeli (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Adeli mean?
A Persian surname derived from the Arabic word "adl," meaning "justice" or "fairness." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Adeli (0.05 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Adeli?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Adeli at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.