Adela Girl

Popularity: #748 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: ah-DEH-lah /ˈæd.ə.lə/

Origin: German; Spanish; Italian

Meaning: Noble; noble kind; noble

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Adela has its roots in the Germanic word "adal," which means "noble." This etymology can be traced back to the early medieval period, where it was used in various forms across Germanic languages. The name entered the English language through the Old High German form "Adalheidis," which evolved into the more familiar "Adelaide" and subsequently influenced the shorter form "Adela." The name was further popularized in England during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, as it was brought over by the Normans who had adopted it from the Old French variant.

Historically, the name Adela is associated with several notable figures, including Adela of Normandy, the daughter of William the Conqueror, who lived in the 11th century. She was known for her role in the establishment of various religious institutions in England.

Additionally, the name appears in various medieval texts and chronicles, often linked to noble lineage and virtue, reinforcing its connotation of nobility and honor. The name has also been borne by saints and queens, further embedding it in the historical narrative of European royalty and religious significance.

Culturally, Adela has been associated with themes of nobility and grace, often appearing in literature and art as a symbol of virtuous femininity. The name's enduring appeal can be attributed to its melodic quality and the positive attributes associated with nobility.

Variants of the name, such as Adele, have also emerged in different cultures, reflecting its adaptability and resonance across various linguistic landscapes. Overall, Adela's historical and cultural significance underscores its lasting legacy in European naming traditions.

Famous people named Adela

In this section, you will find notable people named Adela. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Adela who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Adela who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Adela Noriega is an actress best known for Quinceañera, Amor Real, and Fuego en la Sangre.

Adela Zamudio is a writer and feminist best known for her poetry and advocacy for women's rights in Bolivia.

Fictional characters named Adela

The following list of fictional characters named Adela is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Adela is a fictional character from the novel The Secret of the Old Mill by Franklin W. Dixon. She is a key figure in the mystery that the Hardy Boys seek to solve.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Adela, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

AdeleAlinaAmaraAnyaAdelineAva

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Adela. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

AltheaAriaAdelineAmaraAlinaArianaAvelineAnya

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Adela was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Adela has ranked as high as #2025 nationally, which occurred in 2015, and has been most popular in Texas, California, New York, New Mexico, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Adela has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Adela is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Adela was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Adela.

Year Total Births Girl
2025 201 201
2024 224 224
2023 215 215
2022 222 222
2021 205 205
2020 200 200
2019 193 193
2018 188 188
2017 184 184
2016 202 202
2015 227 227
2014 184 184
2013 209 209
2012 210 210
2011 152 152
2010 128 128
2009 165 165
2008 150 150
2007 143 143
2006 141 141
2005 149 149
2004 120 120
2003 119 119
2002 135 135
2001 119 119
2000 126 126
1999 112 112
1998 152 152
1997 107 107
1996 95 95
1995 97 97
1994 107 107
1993 97 97
1992 85 85
1991 105 105
1990 93 93
1989 85 85
1988 57 57
1987 72 72
1986 75 75
1985 62 62
1984 63 63
1983 69 69
1982 63 63
1981 81 81
1980 77 77
1979 86 86
1978 77 77
1977 74 74
1976 80 80
1975 70 70
1974 85 85
1973 77 77
1972 73 73
1971 76 76
1970 94 94
1969 72 72
1968 70 70
1967 64 64
1966 79 79
1965 91 91
1964 100 100
1963 108 108
1962 108 108
1961 100 100
1960 111 111
1959 105 105
1958 104 104
1957 121 121
1956 127 127
1955 120 120
1954 121 121
1953 129 129
1952 106 106
1951 125 125
1950 122 122
1949 111 111
1948 142 142
1947 119 119
1946 122 122
1945 110 110
1944 100 100
1943 71 71
1942 95 95
1941 90 90
1940 83 83
1939 79 79
1938 74 74
1937 57 57
1936 71 71
1935 86 86
1934 68 68
1933 78 78
1932 101 101
1931 81 81
1930 110 110
1929 105 105
1928 110 110
1927 118 118
1926 111 111
1925 113 113
1924 130 130
1923 121 121
1922 120 120
1921 157 157
1920 161 161
1919 151 151
1918 163 163
1917 138 138
1916 154 154
1915 116 116
1914 74 74
1913 61 61
1912 65 65
1911 63 63
1910 55 55
1909 49 49
1908 35 35
1907 38 38
1906 44 44
1905 36 36
1904 41 41
1903 28 28
1902 33 33
1901 35 35
1900 38 38
1899 36 36
1898 39 39
1897 29 29
1896 28 28
1895 34 34
1894 35 35
1893 32 32
1892 23 23
1891 28 28
1890 23 23
1889 29 29
1888 21 21
1887 17 17
1886 8 8
1885 13 13
1884 11 11
1883 15 15
1882 17 17
1881 7 7
1880 9 9

Top States for Adela (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 48
30%
TX 43
27%
FL 15
9%
WA 10
6%
IN 7
4%
NC 7
4%
NY 7
4%
OH 7
4%
IL 6
4%
TN 6
4%
CO 5
3%