Adaline
Meaning of Adaline
Adaline, pronounced AD-uh-line, emerges etymologically from the Old High German root adal, “noble,” a semantic thread that entwines it with Latin nobilitas and situates the name within a historical lexicon of elevated social standing; over time it evolved through Adalheidis to Adeline and finally to the streamlined Victorian-era spelling Adaline. The United States data trace a classic bell-curve of fashionability: after occupying the middle of the charts at the turn of the twentieth century, the name experienced a long descent into relative obscurity, only to rise, phoenix-like, in the 2010s—an ascent often correlated with cultural stimuli such as the film “The Age of Adaline.” This renewed visibility has reintroduced the name’s vintage cadence and subtly aristocratic nuance to contemporary parents, producing a steady climb from rank 338 in 2015 to the mid-180s by 2024. Phonetically, its trisyllabic structure and liquid consonants confer a soft yet distinct rhythm, while its morphological kinship with Adelaide, Adele, and the Spanish Adelina underscores a pan-Romance adaptability. Collectively, these linguistic, historical, and sociocultural vectors render Adaline a choice that balances antique charm with modern resonance—an onomastic embodiment of quiet nobility restored to current relevance.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as AD-uh-line (/ædəˈlaɪn/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Adaline
| Adaline Hohf Beery was an American author, editor, and hymnwriter from a Pennsylvania Dutch community who edited The Golden Dawn and The Young Disciple, compiled the songbook Gospel Chimes, and worked for the Brethren Publishing House. |
| British born American civil servant and suffragist Adaline Weston Couzins served as a Civil War nurse with the Ladies Union Aid Society of St. Louis, caring for Union and Confederate soldiers on Mississippi River hospital ships. |
| Adaline Emerson Thompson was an American benefactor and education reformer who served as president of the College Settlements Association. |
| Adaline is the stage name of Ottawa born Canadian alternative pop singer songwriter Shawna Beesley, whose music has been featured on TV shows like Greys Anatomy, 90210, Ringer, Lost Girl, and Wynonna Earp. |
