Entry № 0009 · Germanic origin

Adelaide Adelaide — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ AD-eh-layd /
Gender
Girl
Origin
Germanic
Meaning
"Noble kind, of noble birth"
Syllables
3
Rank · US 2025
№ 247
First recorded
Medieval (Germanic)

A name that means "noble kind, of noble birth".

Adelaide is the English form of the Germanic Adalheidis — composed of adal (noble) and heid (kind, sort). The same root also gives Alice, Adele, Adeline, and Heidi. Saint Adelaide of Italy (931-999) was a Holy Roman Empress; Queen Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (1792-1849) was the queen consort of King William IV.

Adelaide is the capital of South Australia, named after Queen Adelaide. The name has been continuously used in English but never enormously popular. Today it sits in the U.S. top 250 and is climbing fast.

Noble kind. A Holy Roman Empress, a queen, and the capital of South Australia.

Where Adelaide stands.

Current rank · 2025
№ 247 in the U.S.
All-time peak
№ 247 in 2025
Babies named Adelaide · last year
1,147 in the U.S.
First entered SSA top-1000
1880
Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular
№25 №75 №150 №250 1995 2005 2015 2020 2025 PEAK · №247 NOW · №247

Adelaides before her.

Real people
Saint Adelaide
Holy Roman Empress.
931 – 999
Queen Adelaide
Queen consort of King William IV of the UK.
1792 – 1849
In fiction
Adelaide
Character in the musical Guys and Dolls.
1950 musical

Names connected to Adelaide.

The number behind Adelaide.

5

The Free Spirit

Adelaide reduces to five — the number of noble motion.

Why families chose this name.

"Three syllables of nobility. Addie and Della work as nicknames. We are set."
Catherine · Mother of one · Boston