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Adele

Girl name · 1,492 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Adele: 1,492 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 70 births in 1990.

Borrowed from the French form of the Germanic element *adal*, meaning 'noble', Adele was brought to Britain by the Normans. The name is famously borne by the multi-Grammy-winning singer Adele, whose full name is Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, and by the early 20th-century British actress Adele Astaire, elder sister of Fred. While not directly linked to Scotland, the root *adal* also appears in the name Adolf, as well as in the Scottish place name Adelphi, derived from the Greek for 'brothers' but sharing the same sense of noble kinship. A notable variant is the Scottish Gaelic form, Àdhail, though it remains extremely rare. Despite its ancient roots, Adele has seen a modern revival, becoming particularly popular in Scotland in the 2010s following the singer's international breakthrough.