Meaning & History
Short form of names beginning with the Old English element æðel meaning "noble". It was coined in the 19th century, when many Old English names were revived. It was popularized by the novels The Newcomes (1855) by William Makepeace Thackeray and The Daisy Chain (1856) by C. M. Yonge. A famous bearer was American actress and singer Ethel Merman (1908-1984).
Related Names
DiminutiveEthelyn
Other Languages & CulturesAdela, Adelina, Alda, Ada(Ancient Germanic) Alina(Belarusian) Adelina(Bulgarian) Adéla(Czech) Aada, Ada(Finnish) Adèle, Adélie, Adeline, Aude, Aline, Lina, Line, Lyna(French) Adele, Ada, Alina(German) Adél, Ada(Hungarian) Adele, Adelina, Alda, Ada, Alina(Italian) Alīna(Latvian) Adelė(Lithuanian) Adela, Ada, Alina(Polish) Adelina, Alda, Aldina(Portuguese) Aline(Portuguese (Brazilian)) Adela, Adelina, Alina(Romanian) Alina(Russian) Adela(Slovak) Adela, Adelia, Adelina(Spanish) Adelita(Spanish (Latin American)) Alina(Ukrainian)
Popularity
Images
Ethel Merman in the movie 'Alexander's Ragtime Band' (1938)People think this name is
classic mature formal upper class natural wholesome strong refined strange simple serious nerdy
Name Days
Estonia: December 16
Categories
actresses, American Horror Story characters, Archie Comics characters, currently out of the US top 1000, Downton Abbey characters, I Love Lucy characters, Ice Age characters, literature, mascots, nobility, Riverdale characters, short forms, singers, storms, television, The Man Who Came to Dinner characters, top 10 in the US
