Adele has 41,996 SSA records, peaked in 1918, and currently sits at rank 798 — a name with a century of distance from its first American high point, currently being revived by one of the most successful recording artists of the 21st century. The timing for Adele is, right now, genuinely interesting.
Noble Germanic Roots
Adele derives from the Germanic element adal, meaning noble — the same root that gives us Adelaide, Adeline, Ada, and the royal family name pattern across medieval Europe. The short form Adele was used widely in French and German contexts, and its adoption in English-speaking countries followed the general pattern of Germanic names entering English use through French Norman transmission. As a standalone two-syllable name, Adele has an elegant simplicity: it doesn't need elaboration to carry its weight. Germanic noble names built on adal form one of the most durable naming families in Western history.
The Adele Effect
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins — known professionally as Adele — released her debut album in 2008 and has been one of the most awarded and commercially successful musicians in the world since. Her name has given Adele modern currency in a way that purely historical revival couldn't achieve: it's a name associated with extraordinary talent, emotional depth, and a very distinctive voice, in both the literal and metaphorical sense. Parents who love the name now are unlikely to be confused about the association, and the association is unambiguously positive. Adele versus Adeline, Adele is the French short form, Adeline the elongated version; both are currently climbing.
The 1918 Peak as Context
A century of distance from the 1918 peak puts Adele firmly in great-great-grandmother territory, far enough that the vintage quality reads as genuinely antique rather than dated. The celebrity boost from the singer arrives precisely at the moment when the name's generational cycle would have supported a revival anyway. Names that peaked in the 1910s are at exactly the right age for full rehabilitation, and Adele is benefiting from that cycle plus a significant celebrity tailwind. Current chart position at 798 suggests it has room to climb.