Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2006

Adel

Meaning Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *aþalaz Gender Unisex · 50% girls Rank 2025 #4,708 Trend ↓ Falling 13%

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *aþalaz.

Rank 2025
#4,708
among boys · ↓1,547 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
53
named Adel · -16% vs 2024
How common
1 in 81,337
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2006
65 babies
All-time total
3,002
#3,941 all-time among boys
First recorded
1888
in Social Security records

Adel popularity over time

3,002 babies have been named Adel since 1888, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.030.040.0518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 5 – 5 1 – –
1890s 31 – 31 3 +520% –
1900s 50 – 50 5 +61% –
1910s 170 10 180 18 +260% #3,267
1920s 194 6 200 20 +11% #3,817
1930s 117 11 128 13 -36% #3,596
1940s 88 5 93 9 -27% #3,431
1950s 110 – 110 11 +18% –
1960s 72 24 96 10 -13% #3,306
1970s 76 43 119 12 +24% #2,897
1980s 77 149 226 23 +90% #2,232
1990s 56 283 339 34 +50% #2,174
2000s 127 392 519 52 +53% #2,401
2010s 184 388 572 57 +10% #2,805
2020s (to 2025) 137 197 334 56 -3% #3,075

Where Adel is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 20 0.01 outside top 500
2027 20 0.01 outside top 500
2028 19 0.01 outside top 500
2029 19 0.01 outside top 500
2030 18 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Adel

Adel is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,708 in 2025 with 21 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1888, 3,002 American babies have been named Adel, about 50% boys and 50% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2006, when 65 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Adel stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Adel?

The median living Adel is about 20 years old; half are between 10 and 36. An estimated 2,300 people named Adel are alive in the United States today.

median 20 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Adel year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 32 #4,355 21 #4,708
2024 25 #5,149 38 #3,161
2023 21 #5,755 37 #3,228
2022 20 #5,986 34 #3,412
2021 19 #6,179 30 #3,652
2020 20 #5,852 37 #3,075
2019 20 #5,988 36 #3,201
2018 21 #5,787 42 #2,848
2017 15 #7,448 39 #3,008
2016 17 #6,906 39 #2,994
2015 24 #5,465 41 #2,865
2014 23 #5,625 42 #2,805
2013 14 #8,150 29 #3,583
2012 24 #5,561 39 #2,955
2011 17 #7,123 40 #2,904
2010 9 #11,264 41 #2,875
2009 25 #5,540 34 #3,275
2008 17 #7,414 40 #2,949
2007 11 #10,136 52 #2,444
2006 14 #8,242 51 #2,401
2005 9 #10,931 41 #2,655
2004 13 #8,266 37 #2,789
2003 12 #8,512 34 #2,847
2002 9 #10,263 38 #2,557
2001 11 #8,765 34 #2,745
2000 6 #13,176 31 #2,866
1995 6 #11,796 30 #2,501
1990 – – 19 #3,166
1985 7 #8,322 15 #3,071
1980 11 #5,914 11 #3,617
1975 11 #5,161 8 #3,946
1970 7 #6,364 – –
1965 12 #3,734 – –
1960 13 #3,512 – –
1955 13 #3,225 – –
1950 10 #3,424 – –
1945 9 #3,132 – –
1940 5 #4,351 – –
1935 14 #2,206 – –
1930 17 #2,023 6 #3,596
1925 22 #1,847 – –
1920 21 #1,889 6 #3,817
1915 20 #1,673 – –
1910 10 #1,521 – –
1905 10 #1,238 – –
1900 8 #1,431 – –
1895 11 #986 – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Adel

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Adel Emam Adel Emam Egyptian actor (born 1940) Contemporary
  2. 2 Adel al-Jubeir Adel al-Jubeir Saudi diplomat and minister of state for foreign affairs (born 1962) Contemporary
  3. 3 Adel Shah Adel Shah Shah of Iran from 1747 to 1748 1719–1749 · 18th century
  4. 4 Adel Chedli Adel Chedli Tunisian footballer (born 1976) Contemporary
  5. 5 Adel Sellimi Tunisian former footballer and manager b. 1972 · Contemporary
  6. 6 Adel Safar Prime Minister of Syria (2011–2012) b. 1953 · Contemporary
  7. 7 Adel Nefzi Tunisian footballer b. 1974 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Adel, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Adel?

The median living Adel is about 20 years old. Half of all living Adels are between 10 and 36 years old.

How many people named Adel are alive today?

An estimated 2,300 people named Adel are alive in the United States, based on 3,002 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Adel mean?

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *aþalaz.

How popular is the name Adel in 2025?

Adel ranked #4,708 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 21 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Adel?

3,002 babies have been named Adel in the United States since 1888, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Adel most popular?

Adel peaked in 2006, when 65 newborns received the name.

Is Adel a boy or girl name?

Adel is used for both: about 50% of babies named Adel have been girls and 50% boys.

Is the name Adel rising or falling?

Adel has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Adel become more popular?

Adel is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 18 boys named Adel in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Adel?

Well-known people named Adel include Adel Emam (actor), Adel al-Jubeir (politician), Adel Shah (politician).

Names like Adel

Names that sound and feel close to Adel: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Adel with similar names → More names starting with A →