Adele
Adele comes from the Germanic root "adal," meaning noble. It is the same root that begins Adelaide and Adelina. The name traveled through Old French ("Adèle") into English usage, where it has always carried a quiet,European elegance — the kind of name that suggests opera glasses and inherited furniture rather than novelty. The most famous bearer is, of course, Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, the British singer whose 2008 debut album "19" and subsequent records made her one of the best-selling artists of all time. Her voice gave the name a new cultural charge: it now reads as soulful and grounded rather than merely aristocratic. Before Adele the singer, the name had a mid-20th-century slump and was considered rather fusty. What I like about Adele is its economy. Two syllables, no wasted letters, a clean consonant frame. The "d" in the middle gives it structure, and the "l" at the end gives it warmth. It is one of those names that sounds expensive without trying to. Adele is a female name of Germanic origin that means "Noble". Grounded, soulful, and quietly dignified. The name sounds like someone with good taste who does not need to show off. Re-entered US top 400 after 2008. Bigger in UK, France, Germany. Well-known people named Adele include Adele (singer), Adele Astaire (dancer), Saint Adele (Frankish noblewoman), Adele Romanski (film producer). Common variations and related forms of Adele include Adèle (French), Adela (Spanish/Italian), Adelia (Latinized), Adelheid (German original).