Adel - Name Meaning and Popularity -

Meaning of Adel

Adel threads together two linguistic lineages that seldom meet: the Old High German adal, “noble,” and the Arabic ʿadl, “justice.” The result is a compact, two-syllable name that carries quiet authority in both Europe and the Middle East. Pronounced AH-del in German and ah-DEL in French and Arabic, it slips easily across borders and, being unisex, across traditional gender lines as well. In the United States, Social Security data show Adel occupying the lower half of the Top-1000 for more than a century, its rankings hovering in the 500s during the 1920s and settling into the 800–900 range in recent decades—a pattern that suggests resilience rather than fashion. Historical figures such as ninth-century Bishop Adel of Strasbourg and modern personalities like Egyptian actor Adel Imam keep the name in quiet circulation, proving that this understated choice continues to punch above its syllabic weight.