UK girl's name
Adelaide
Of Germanic origin, meaning "noble" or "nobility".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Adelaide is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Adelaide popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #411, with 104 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 124 births.
This profile covers 1,507 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 84% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,534 living people in the UK are called Adelaide. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Adelaide ranked #411 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 104 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2023, when 124 girls were registered as Adelaide.
- • Adelaide ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #418 in 2022.
- • About 1,534 living people in the UK are estimated to have Adelaide as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#411
2024
Births in 2024
104
Latest year
Peak year
2023
124 births
Estimated living
1,534
2026
Meaning
What does Adelaide mean?
The name Adelaide has its origins in the Germanic languages and can be traced back to the 8th century. It is derived from the Old German words "adal" meaning "noble" and "heid" meaning "type" or "sort." The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "Adalheida."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Adelaide was in the 9th century, referring to Adelaide of Burgundy (931-987), who was the Queen of Italy and Holy Roman Empress. She was an influential figure in her time and played a significant role in Italian and German politics.
In the 12th century, Adelaide of Louvain (1103-1151) was the Countess of Arlon and Burgundy. She was known for her piety and charitable works, founding several monasteries and hospitals during her lifetime.
Another historical figure with the name Adelaide was Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (1792-1849), who was the Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and Hanover as the wife of King William IV. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her support for various charitable organizations.
In the 19th century, Adelaide Ristori (1822-1906) was an Italian actress and one of the most famous tragedians of her time. She was renowned for her performances in the works of William Shakespeare and other classical playwrights.
A more recent historical figure with the name Adelaide was Adelaide Weinfield (1892-1979), an American activist and suffragist who played a significant role in the women's suffrage movement in the United States.
Throughout history, the name Adelaide has been associated with nobility, strength, and grace. It has been carried by queens, empresses, and influential women from various walks of life, leaving a lasting impact on the cultural and historical landscapes of their respective eras.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Adelaide over time
The chart below shows babies named Adelaide registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Adelaide, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 104 births in 2024, compared with 124 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Adelaide by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Adelaide was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #404 | 537 | 5 |
| 2010s | #680 | 622 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1046 | 257 | 10 |
| 1990s | #975 | 91 | 4 |
Geography
Where Adelaide is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Adelaide. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Adelaide ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #418 in 2022.
Across the UK
Adelaide in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#541 in 2024
6 years of NRS records, 31 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#418 in 2022
1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Adelaide
-
Adelaide Ross
writer; poet
British writer (1896-1993)
1896-1993
-
Adelaide Livingstone
peace activist
American born-British human rights activist and peace campaigner
1881-1970
-
Adelaide Knight
suffragette
British suffragette (1871–1950)
1871-1950
-
Adelaide Neilson
actor; stage actor
British actress (1848-1880)
1848-1880
-
Adelaide Phillipps
actor; stage actor; opera singer
American opera singer (1833-1882)
1833-1882
-
Adelaide Manning
editor
social reformer
1828-1905
-
Adelaide Lucy Fenton
philatelist
philatelist
1825-1897
-
Adelaide O'Keeffe
writer; poet; amanuensis; governess; novelist
Irish amanuensis, poet and novelist (1776–1865)
1776-1865
Related
Names similar to Adelaide
- Amelia 94,830
- Ava 54,556
- Amy 52,495
- Alice 46,815
- Abigail 45,658
- Amber 31,922
- Anna 27,802
- Alexandra 19,455
- Amelie 18,051
- Abbie 15,971
- Aimee 15,158
- Annabelle 15,120
FAQ
Adelaide: questions and answers
How popular is the name Adelaide in the UK right now?
In 2024, Adelaide was ranked #411 for girls in England and Wales, with 104 births registered.
When was Adelaide most popular?
The peak year on record was 2023, with 124 babies registered as Adelaide in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Adelaide?
Of Germanic origin, meaning "noble" or "nobility".
How many people are called Adelaide in the UK?
A total of 1,507 babies have been registered as Adelaide across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 31 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Adelaide most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Adelaide ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #418 in 2022. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.