Adeline

French, diminutive of Adele
"noble, nobility"

Adeline Origin and Meaning

The name Adeline is a girl's name of French origin meaning "noble, nobility".

Adeline has a lovely, old-fashioned "Sweet Adeline" charm, but has become so popular in the US under so many spellings and variations -- with Adalynn and Adalyn also popular -- that considered together it is far more popular than it first seems. Adorable nickname Addie is also pervasive.

Adeline originated as a French diminutive of Adele, which came from the Germanic root adal, meaning "noble." Adeline was introduced to England by the Normans in the eleventh century, was very common during the Middle Ages, then vanished until the Victorian Gothic revival. Common variants of Adeline include Adalynn, Adalyn, Adelyn, Adelynn, Adelina, and Adaline.

Adeline was introduced to England by the Normans in the eleventh century, was very common during the Middle Ages, then vanished until the Victorian Gothic revival.

The song "Sweet Adeline" Is an old barbershop quartet favorite. JFK's grandfather John F. Fitzgerald, mayor of Boston, made it his theme song, and Mickey Mouse serenaded Minnie with it in a 1929 cartoon.

Pronounced ad-a-line in America, it's usually ad-a-LEEN in France.

# 71 in the US

Adeline Rank in US Top 1000

# 88 on Nameberry

Adeline Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Adeline Popularity

Famous People Named Adeline

  • Adeline Pond Adams
    American novelist
  • Adeline Andre
    French fashion designer
  • Adeline Canac
    French pair skater
  • Adeline Genee
    Danish,British ballerina
  • Adeline Hazan
    French MEP
  • Adeline De Walt Reynolds
    American actress
  • Adeline Louisa Maria de Horsey
    Countess of Cardigan
  • Adeline Kerrar
    American basebal player
  • Adeline Knapp
    American journalist and author
  • Adeline McKinlay
    American tennis player
  • Adeline Dutton Train Whitney
    American poet and author
  • Adeline Virginia Woolf
    English novelist
  • Adeline Yen Mah
    Chinese,American writer and physician
  • Adeline Helberg (b. 2012)
    daughter of actor Simon Helberg and Jocelyn Towne
  • Adeline Phelps (b. 2012)
    daughter of baseball player David Phelps
  • Adeline Pauline Zamprogna (b. 2015)
    daughter of actor Dominic Zamprogna
  • Adeline Bernthal (b. 2015)
    daughter of actor Jon Bernthal

Adeline in Pop Culture

  • Adeline Luna
    'Olive Chancellor's affected widowed sister' in The Bostonians (1886) by Henry James
  • Adeline March
    character in novel "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield
  • Adeline Schmidt
    character in the musical and film "Sweet Adeline;" inspired by the popular song
  • Adeline
    character from the Kirby video games
  • "Sweet Adeline
    " popular song written by Henry Armstrong, a barbershop standard
  • "Adeline
    " song by Brian Wright
  • Adeline Records
    American record label

Adeline in Nameberry Blog Posts