Name of the Week

 

Noble by name and noble by nature; 
fitting in nicely between Ava and Isabella. 

 

Origin:

Derived from the Old High German adal "noble," descended from the Proto-Germanic athala, and therefore cognate with the Old English æðele "noble, famous, glorious."* Adeline and Adelina developed as diminutive forms of the name.

Usage:

Adela, as one of several Germanic Adal- names, was first used by the Franks, and several examples of its use by Frankish, and later French, nobility can be found from the 8th to 11th century. Most notably was Saint Adela, an 8th century Frankish princess, daughter of King Dagobert II (also a saint).  The Normans who first brought Adela, and other Adel- names, over to Britain. William the Conqueror had a daughter Adela — a renowned patron of the arts and a political mediator — who was most likely named after her maternal grandmother, Adela Capet, considered by some to be a saint.* Once on British shores, the Germanic Adela, Adeline and Adelina became somewhat conflated with the Old English cognate element æðele, used previously in names such as Æðelþryð (Ethelthryth) and Æðelflæd (Ethelfled). We therefore see spellings such as Ethela, Edelina, Athelina and Aelina, which led to the surnames Adeline and Edlin.  Adelina, in particular, can be found fairly frequently in records from the Middle Ages* but both Adela and Adelina became rare after the 14th century until it was revived in the 19th century. The 1841 UK census lists 105 women named Adela: a small number compared to the 2,807 named Adelaide or 418 named Adeline, though more than the 80 named Adelina or Adele. By 1861 there were 543 named Adela, which had increased to 1,005 by 1881, and 1,573 in 1900.  Though it was very consistant in usage, Adela rarely reached more than 50 births per year during the 19th century. At this time, Adelaide and Adeline were in much higher usage. In the 20th century, the French form Adele was more common, though Adela still maintained persistant use.  From 1996 to 2006 in England and Wales, Adela had a birth count of between 3 and 10 births. Since then, usage of the name has ever so slightly been increasing: 13 (#1854) in 2007, 12 (#2022) in 2008, 13 (#1909) in 2009, 16 (#1731) in 2010 and 19 (#1545) in 2011.  In Scotland, one Adela was registered in both 2009 and 2010, but none in 2011.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Saint Adela (d.c.735), saint and founder of convent of Pfalzel. * Adela Capet (1009—1063), known as "Adela the Holy," daughter of King Robert II of France. * Adela of Flanders (c.1064—1115), Queen consort of King Canute IV of Denmark  * Adela of Normandy, Countess of Blois (c.1067—1137), daughter of William the Conqueror and mother of King Stephen. * Adela of Meissen (d. 1181), Queen consort of King Sweyn III of Denmark * Adela Maddison (1862—1929), British composer of operas, ballets, instrumental music and songs. * Adela Nicolson (1865—1904), British poet who wrote under the pseudonym Laurence Hope. * Adela Pankhurst (1885—1961), prominant suffragette, daughter of Emmeline Pankhurst.  Contemporary: * Adela Noriega (b.1969), Mexican actress.

Variants:

Adelina, Adeline, Adele, Adella, Adelia, Adala, Adalia

Pronunciation:

a-DEL-ə  [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Ada, Addie, Della, Dolly, El, Ellie

Sibling Names:

Viola     Charis     Lucia     Felicia     Vivienne     Mirabel  Jude     Rowan     Everett     Alden     Frederic     Maxim

Name Lists:

Upright Elegance   Saintly and Stylish    Royal Names

 

If you like Adela you may also like:   Alethea, Estella, Allegra, Sabella, Alessa, Elodie, Stella, Audra, Delphina, Amelie

 

Thanks to Jamie for requesting Adela as this week's NotW.