Adah - Name Meaning and Popularity -

Meaning of Adah

Adah is a feminine given name of Hebrew origin, derived from the verb ʾādāh, “to adorn,” and translated in most lexicons as “ornament” or “adornment.” It appears twice in the Book of Genesis—first as one of Lamech’s wives (Gen. 4:19) and later as a wife of Esau (Gen. 36:2)—and is further venerated in Masonic and Eastern Star ritual, where it is assigned to Jephthah’s devoted daughter. In contemporary use the name accommodates two principal pronunciations—English AY-duh and Spanish ah-DAH—allowing it to move easily between Anglo-American and Hispanic contexts. Although Adah once ranked among the Top 200 names for American daughters during the late nineteenth century, Social Security data show a long taper to present-day rarity: since 2000 it has hovered around 75–120 births annually, placing it in the mid-800s nationwide. This modest but persistent usage situates Adah within the “vintage-revival” category—familiar to biblical scholars and literary readers (e.g., Barbara Kingsolver’s Adah Price) yet uncommon enough to feel distinctive beside the sleeker Ada or the elaborated Addison. For parents seeking a succinct, historically grounded name that carries both scriptural resonance and cross-linguistic accessibility, Adah offers a quietly ornamental choice whose classical roots belie its modern obscurity.