How to say it
AD · e · line
/ˈæd.ə.laɪn/
Feminine
Adeline
Noble
What it means
French diminutive of the Germanic Adelaide, from adal ('noble') + suffix -lin. Same root as Alice and Heidi.
Adeline is a French diminutive of the Germanic Adalheidis (the same source as Adelaide, Alice, and Heidi), built on adal ('noble'). It spread through medieval France and into England, faded after the 19th century, and came back hard in the 2010s with the vintage-revival wave. The 1903 sentimental song Sweet Adeline kept the name in barbershop-quartet repertoire and as a Boston Red Sox unofficial anthem (Tessie's predecessor). Common shorts are Addie, Della, and Adda.
Popularity over time
peaked at #58 in 2024, currently #59 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Addie, Della, and the diminutive Adda all show up. Addie is the dominant current short.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Sweet Adeline 1903 sentimental ballad, the unofficial Boston Red Sox singalong before Tessie
Spelling variants
- Adelyn
- Adalyn
- Adeleine
- Adelaide
Names with the same feeling
See Adeline from another angle
By meaning
By style