Adel (name)

{{about|the gender-neutral name|other uses|Adel (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox name

| name = Adel

| image = Prince Adel, son of Friso.png

| caption = Illustration of Prince Adel of Frisia (son of King Friso of Frisia) by Martini Hamconii

| pronunciation = {{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɑː|d|ə|l}}

| gender = Masculine and feminine

| nameday = {{Unbulleted list|20 October (Adeline)|16 December (Adelaide)|24 December (Adèle)}}

| languageorigin = Proto-Germanic

| region = {{Flagicon|Europe}} Northern Europe

| derivation = From proto-Germanic "aþalą" and "ōþilą"

| meaning = Noble, nobility, elite

| variant = Adell, Ådel, Ädel, Ádel, Adél, Adal, Adil, Adiel, Ædel, Édel, Edel

| related names = Adelson, Adeldaughter, Adelantis, Adelais, Adelaide, Adeliza, Adeline, Adelina, Adelle, Adella, Adelta, Adelia, Aderic, Adolf, Albert, Alice, Ethel, Ethelle

| language = Proto-Germanic

| petname = Addy, Addie, Adels, Addles, Al, Adelie

}}

Adel is a given name of ancient European origins that evolved from words meaning "noble", "nobility" or "elite".{{efn|{{Cite web |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/german-english/adel |title=Adel (pronunciation) |website=Cambridge Dictionary (Cambridge University Press)}}{{Cite book |title=Altdeutsches namenbuch |last=Förstemann |first=Ernst |publisher=Verlag von ferd Förstemann |year=1856}}{{Cite book |title=Svensk etymologisk ordbok |last=Hellquist |first=Elof |publisher=Gleerup |year=1922}}{{Cite book |title=A History of the French Language |last1=Holmes |first1=Urban |last2=Schutz |first2=Alexander |publisher=Biblo & Tannen |year=1938}}{{Cite book |title=Diccionario etimológico de helenismos españoles |last=Hualde |first=Crisóstomo |publisher=Imprenta Aldecoa |year=1945}}{{Cite book |title=Vergleichendes und etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altwestnordischen, Altnorwegisch-isländischen: einschliesslich der Lehn- und Fremdwörter sowie der Eigennamen |last=Holthausen |first=Ferdinand |publisher=Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht |year=1948}}{{Cite book |title=Studien zu den altsächsischen Personennamen des 11. und 12. Jahrhunderts |last=Schlaug |first=Wilhelm |publisher=Gleerup |year=1955}}{{Cite book |title=Die altsächsischen Personennamen vor dem Jahre 1000 |last=Schlaug |first=Wilhelm |publisher=Gleerup |year=1962}}{{Cite book |title=Svenska förnamn: kortfattat namnlexikon |last=Otterbjörk |first=Roland |publisher=Almqvist & Wiksell |year=1979}}{{Cite book |title=Hva skal barnet hete? |last=Lautin |first=Inger |publisher=Schibsted Forlag |year=1993}}{{Cite book |title=Norsk personnamnleksikon |last1=Kruken |first1=Kristoffer |last2=Stemshaug |first2=Ola |publisher=Samlaget |year=1995}}{{Cite book |title=Das große Vornamenlexikon |last=Weitershaus |first=Friedrich |publisher=Orbis Verlag |year=1998}}{{Cite book |title=Förnamn i Sverige: kortfattat namnlexikon |last=Brylla |first=Eva |publisher=Liber |year=2004}}{{Cite book |title=Historisches Deutsches Vornamenbuch |last=Seibicke |first=Wilfried |publisher=De Gruyter |year=2007}}{{Cite book |title=Nordiskt runnamnslexikon |last=Peterson |first=Lena |publisher=Reklam & Katalogtryck |year=2007}}{{Cite book |title=Dutch: Biography of a Language |last=Willemyns |first=Roland |publisher=OUP USA |year=2013}}{{excessive citations inline|date=July 2024}}}}

It is derived primarily from the languages of north-western Europe, which include English, French, Luxembourgish, German, Dutch, Frisian, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Faroese, and Icelandic. Today, "Adel" is a gender-neutral given name and short form of given names with this combining element.{{efn|{{Cite web |url=https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/adel_f |title=Adel (female name) |website=Nordic Names}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/adel_m |title=Adel (male name) |website=Nordic Names}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.babble.com/baby-names/unisex-names/meaning-of-adel/ |title=Adel (girl name) |website=Babble (Disney)}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.babble.com/baby-names/unisex-names/meaning-of-adel-boy/ |title=Adel (boy name) |website=Babble (Disney)}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.babynamescience.com/baby-name/adel-girl |title=Adel (girl name) |website=Baby Name Science}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.babynamescience.com/baby-name/adel-boy |title=Adel (boy name) |website=Baby Name Science}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/ADAL |title=Adal (Germanic name element) |website=Nordic Names}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Name_List:Adél- |title=Adél (combining name element) |website=Nordic Names}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Name_List:Adel- |title=Adel (combining name element) |website=Nordic Names}}{{excessive citations inline|date=July 2024}}}}

Nordic variants of the name include Ådel, Ädel, Ádel, and Ædel. German and Dutch variants of the name include Adal and Edel. French variants of the name include Édel and Adél (not to be confused with Adèle). Adelson and Adelaide are notable masculine and feminine forms. Adelle (Adèle) is a popular feminine alternative.{{Cite web |url=http://www.namespedia.com/details/Adelson |title=Adelson (notable masculine form) |website=Names Encyclopedia}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.namespedia.com/details/adelaide |title=Adelaide (notable feminine form) |website=Names Encyclopedia}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.namespedia.com/details/adelle |title=Adelle (notable feminine form) |website=Names Encyclopedia}}

Although global, Adel remains prominent in north-western European countries. It can also be found as a family name with or without an affix (such as de Adel, den Adel, or van Adel).

The earliest known woman with the name was Princess Adel of Liège (born {{circa|632 AD}}). The earliest known man with the name was King Adel of Sweden (born {{circa|572 AD}}). His son's name was Adelson{{Cite book |title=The Catholic Encyclopedia |year=1909}}{{Cite book |title=The Swedish Chronicle (Vetus chronicon sveciæ prosaicum or Prosaiska krönikan) |year=1400s}}{{Cite book |title=Lexikon över urnordiska personnamn (Lexicon of Nordic personal names before the eighth century) |last=Peterson |first=Lena |publisher=Swedish Institute for Language and Folklore |year=2007}} The legendary king of the Frisians and founder of the kingdom, Friso, had a son named Adel (later king of Frisia), supposedly born in the 3rd century BC.{{Cite book |title=Frisia sev de viris rebvsqve Frisiæ illvstribvs |last=Hamconii |first=Martini |year=1620 |location=National Library of the Netherlands (original from the University of Amsterdam)}}

Adel is an exemplar of a monothematic name. It is also the root of the names Adelais, Aderic, Adolf, Albert, and Alice, and their variants in other languages.

It is not related to the Arabic name Adil, also spelled Adel, which derives from the root 'ādil, meaning just or equitable.{{cite book |last=Hanks |first=Patrick |authorlink=Patrick Hanks |last2=Hardcastle |first2=Kate |last3=Hodges |first3=Flavia |title=A Dictionary of First Names |publisher=Oxford University Press |publication-place=Oxford, England |series=Oxford paperback reference |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-19-861060-1 |oclc=67869278 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9nd05X_awIgC |page=41 |access-date=20 November 2024}}{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WTak55pG-_IC&q=equitable&pg=PA698 |title=A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic |last=Wehr |first=Hans |date=1979 |publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag |isbn=978-3-447-02002-2 |language=en}}

Origins

= Ancient words =

The name derives from Old Dutch "ōþil", Old German "adal", Old Norse "aðal", Old French "œ̄ðel", and Old English "æðel" by evolution of proto-Germanic "aþalą" (meaning "noble" and "kin") and "ōþilą" (meaning "inheritance" and "rule of the land").{{Cite book |title=Groot woordenboek van de Nederlandse taal (Great Dictionary of the Dutch Language) |last=Dale |first=Van |publisher=Van Dale Lexicografie |year=2005}}{{Cite book |title=Groot etymologisch woordenboek (Great Etymological Dictionary) |last=Dale |first=Van |publisher=French & European Publications |year=2007}}{{Cite book |title=An Etymological Dictionary of the French Language |last1=Brachet |first1=Auguste |last2=Kitchin |first2=George |publisher=Clarendon Press |year=1878}}{{Cite book |title=An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language |last=Skeat |first=Walter |publisher=Courier Corporation |year=1882}}{{Cite book |title=An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language |last=Kluge |first=Friedrich |publisher=George Bell & Sons |year=1891}}

Today, "adel" is used throughout much of north-western Europe as the word for nobility.{{Cite web |url=https://en.bab.la/dictionary/german-english/adel |title=Adel (German-to-English translation) |website=bab.la (Oxford University Press)}}{{Cite web |url=https://en.bab.la/dictionary/dutch-english/adel |title=Adel (Dutch-to-English translation) |website=bab.la (Oxford University Press)}}{{Cite web |url=https://en.bab.la/dictionary/danish-english/adel |title=Adel (Danish-to-English translation) |website=bab.la (Oxford University Press)}}{{Cite web |url=https://en.bab.la/dictionary/norwegian-english/adel |title=Adel (Norwegian-to-English translation) |website=bab.la (Oxford University Press)}}{{Cite web |url=https://en.bab.la/dictionary/swedish-english/adel |title=Adel (Swedish-to-English translation) |website=bab.la (Oxford University Press)}}

Popularity

= Globally =

Adel was found over 4,000 times as a family name and over 15,000 times as a given name in 55 different countries. It is a relatively rare name. Aside from Nordic countries, it is most prominent in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Kazakhstan and Russia.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Adel_m |title=Adel (male-name statistics) |website=Nordic Names |access-date=15 September 2018}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Adel_f |title=Adel (female-name statistics) |website=Nordic Names |access-date=15 September 2018}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.namespedia.com/details/Adel |title=Adel (name statistics) |website=Names Encyclopedia |access-date=15 September 2018}}

Pronunciation

{{Listen

| filename = En-Adel.oga

| title = Adel

| plain = yes

}}

Variations

= Other languages =

class="wikitable"

! English

! French

! Dutch

! German

! Danish

! Norwegian

! Swedish

! Finnish

! Icelandic

! Russian

! Kazakh

Adel

| Adél

| Adel

| Адель

| Adel (Адель)

Ethel

| Édel

| Edel

| Adal

| Ådel

| Ádel

| Adel

| Ädel (Әдел)

| Ethèle

| Edel

| Ædel

| Ädel

| Ædel

| Adelia (Аделия)

= Other forms =

class="wikitable"

! English

! French

! Spanish

! Italian

! Greek

! German

! Dutch

! Danish

! Norwegian

! Swedish

! Icelandic

Adelson

| Adelsohn

| Adelzoon

| Adelsøn

| Adelssønn

| Adelssön

| Adelssonur

Adelantis

| Adelantos

| Αδελάντης

Adelais

| Adélaïs

| Adalheidis

Adelaide

| Adélaïde

| Adelaida

| Adelheid

| Adelhart

Adeliza

| Αδελίζα

Adeline

| Adéline

| Adelína

| Adelhein

Adelle

| Adèle

| Adella

Adelta

| Adelíta

| Αδελτα

Adelia

| Adélia

| Adelía

Given name

= Royalty =

Adel I Friso of Friesland (died {{circa|245 BC}}), King of Friesland
Adel II Atharik of Friesland (died {{circa|151 BC}}), King of Friesland
Adel III Ubbo of Friesland (died {{circa|71 BC}}), King of Friesland
Adel IV Asega Askar of Friesland (died {{circa|11}}), King of Friesland

= Arts and entertainment =

== Acting ==

Adel Adham (1928–1996), Egyptian actor
Adel Bencherif (born 1975), French actor
Adel Emam (born 1940), Egyptian film, television, and stage actor
Adel Abo Hassoon (born 1970), Syrian television actor and voice actor
Adel Karam (born 1972), Lebanese actor, comedian, and TV presenter

== Art ==

Adel Abdessemed (born 1971), Algerian contemporary artist
Adel Nassief (1962–2021), Egyptian painter
Adel Rootstein (1930–1992), British mannequin designer

== Music ==

Adel Dahdal, Swedish record producer and mix engineer
Adel Heinrich (1926–2022), American composer, organist, and university teacher
Adel Kamel (1942–2003), Egyptian music critic, musicologist, and composer
Adel Souto (born 1969), American musician
Adel Tawil (born 1978), German singer, songwriter, and producer

== Writing ==

Adel Esmat (born 1959), Egyptian novelist
Adel Karasholi (born 1936), Syrian writer
Adel Khozam, Emirati poet
Adel Manna (born 1947), Palestinian historian

= Business =

Adel Al-Ghamdi, Saudi businessman
Adel Hassan Al A'ali (1957–2018), Bahraini businessman
Adel Chaveleh, American businessman and CIO of Crane Worldwide Logistics

= Military =

Adel Al Toraifi (born 1979), Saudi journalist and affair specialist
Adel Emara, Egyptian general
Adel Flaifel, Bahraini colonel
Adel Khalil, Egyptian Air Defense Force Commander

= Politics =

Adel Abdel-Hamid (born 1939), Egyptian politician and judge
Adel Al-Saraawi, Kuwaiti politician
Adel Al Asoomi (born 1969), Bahraini politician and businessman
Adel Darwish, British political journalist, reporter, author, historian, broadcaster, and political commentator
Adel Fakeih (born 1959), Saudi Arabian politician and engineer
Adel Hussein (1932–2001), Egyptian political activist and journalist
Adel Labib, Egyptian politician
Adel Mouwda, Bahraini politician
Adel Murad (1949–2018), Iraqi politician
Adel Najafzadeh (born 1973), Iranian politician
Adel Osseiran (1905–1998), Lebanese politician
Adel Safar (born 1953), Syrian politician and academic
Adel Omar Sherif, Egyptian politician and judge
Adel Tamano, Filipino educator, lawyer and politician
Adel Younis (died 1976), Egyptian jurist and politician
Adel Yzquierdo (born 1945), Cuban politician and engineer
Adel Zawati (1920–1984), Palestinian politician

= Sciences =

Adel F. Halasa, American scientist
Adel Mahmoud (1941–2018), Egyptian-American doctor
Adel Ramzy, Egyptian surgeon
Adel Sedra (born 1943), Egyptian-Canadian electrical engineer and professor

= Sports =

Adel Abbas (born 1982), Bahraini footballer
Adel Abdulaziz (born 1980), Emirati footballer
Adel Abdullah (born 1984), Syrian footballer
Adel Adili (born 1974), Libyan long-distance runner
Adel Ahmed (born 1990), Qatari footballer
Adel Ahmed Malalla (born 1961), Qatari footballer
Adel Al-Anezi (born 1977), Kuwaiti footballer
Adel Al-Ghaith, Kuwaiti swimmer
Adel Al-Hammadi (born 1991), Emirati footballer
Adel Al-Hosani (born 1989), Emirati footballer
Adel Al-Kahham (born 1972), Kuwaiti handball player
Adel Al-Muwallad (born 1997), Saudi footballer
Adel Al-Najadah (born 1966), Kuwaiti judoka
Adel Al-Salimi (born 1979), Yemeni footballer
Adel Al-Sulaimane (born 1995), Qatari footballer
Adel Al Chadli (born 2000), Yemeni footballer
Adel Al Mulla (1970–2022), Qatari footballer
Adel Jadoua Ali (born 1981), Qatari footballer
Adel Aljabrin (born 1968), Saudi Arabian archer
Adel Amrouche (born 1968), Belgo-Algerian footballer and manager
Adel Aref (born 1980), Tunisian tennis umpire
Adel Bader (born 1997), Qatari footballer
Adel Basulaiman (born 1982), Emirati footballer
Adel Belal (born 1987), Egyptian footballer
Adel Habib Beldi (born 1994), Algerian footballer
Adel Bettaieb (born 1997), French footballer
Adel Bougueroua (born 1987), Algerian footballer
Adel Bousmal (born 1985), Algerian handball goalkeeper
Adel Belkacem Bouzida (born 2002), Algerian footballer
Adel Chbouki (born 1971), Moroccan footballer
Adel Chedli (born 1976), French footballer
Adel Djerrar (born 1990), Algerian footballer
Adel Eid (born 1984), Finnish footballer
Adel El-Maamour (born 1955), Egyptian football goalkeeper
Adel El-Moalem (born 1946), Egyptian water polo player
Adel El-Sharkawy (born 1966), Egyptian handball player
Adel El Hadi (born 1980), Algerian footballer
Adel Fadaaq (born 1992), Emirati footballer
Adel Fellous (born 1978), French rugby league footballer
Adel Ferdosipour (born 1974), Iranian journalist, football commentator, translator, university professor, and television host and producer
Adel Gafaiti (born 1994), French footballer
Adel Gamal (born 1993), Emirati footballer
Adel Gholami (born 1986), Iranian volleyball player
Adel Guemari (born 1984), French-Algerian footballer
Adel Hamek (born 1992), Algerian badminton player
Adel Hammoude (born 1960), Syrian boxer
Adel Hekal (1934–2018), Egyptian football goalkeeper
Adel Humoud (born 1986), Kuwaiti footballer
Adel Ibrahim Ismail (born 1951), Egyptian basketball player
Adel Khamis (born 1965), Qatari footballer
Adel Khechini (born 1964), Tunisian volleyball player
Adel Khudhair (born 1954), Iraqi footballer and coach
Adel Kolahkaj (born 1985), Iranian footballer
Adel Lakhdari (born 1989), Algerian footballer
Adel Lami (born 1985), Qatari footballer
Adel Langue (born 1997), Mauritian footballer
Adel Massaad (born 1964), Egyptian-German table tennis player
Adel Maïza (born 1983), Algerian footballer
Adel Mechaal (born 1990), Morocco-Spanish runner
Adel Messali (born 1983), Algerian footballer
Adel Mojallali (born 1993), Iranian canoeist
Adel Ibrahim Moustafa (1930–2005), Egyptian wrestler
Adel Namane (born 1987), Algerian footballer
Adel Nasser (born 1970), Iraqi footballer and coach
Adel Nefzi (born 1974), Tunisian footballer
Adel Nima (born 1970), Iraqi footballer and coach
Adel Abdel Rahman (born 1967), Egyptian footballer and manager
Adel Sabeel (born 1998), Emirati footballer
Adel Sarshar (born 1992), Iranian footballer
Adel Sellimi (born 1972), Tunisian footballer and coach
Adel Sennoun (born 1967), Algerian volleyball player
Adel Sesay (born 1990), Sierra Leonean sprinter
Adel Smirani (born 1967), Tunisian footballer
Adel Taarabt (born 1989), Moroccan footballer
Adel Tankova (born 2000), Ukrainian-born Israeli Olympic figure skater
Adel Tlatli, Tunisian basketball coach
Adel Weir (born 1983), South African squash player

= Other =

Adel Abdulhehim (born 1974), Chinese prisoner
Adel Arnaout (born 1970), Lebanese criminal
Adel Abdel Bari (born 1960), Egyptian terrorist
Adel Hassan Hamad (born 1958), Sudan prisoner
Adel Iskandar (born 1977), British scholar, postcolonial theorist, analyst, and academic
Adel Ismail (historian) (1928–2010), Lebanese diplomat and historian
Adel Ben Mabrouk (born 1970), Tunisian criminal
Adel Noori (born 1979), Chinese prisoner
Adel Zaky (1947–2019), Egyptian Roman Catholic prelate

Family name

= Arts and entertainment =

Daniel Adel (born 1962), American painter and illustrator
Sharon den Adel (born 1974), Dutch singer and composer
Ilunga Adell (born William Adell Stevenson in 1948), American television and film producer, screenwriter and actor
Joan Elies Adell i Pitarch (born 1968), Catalan-language poet and essayist
Traci Adell, Playboy Playmate of the Month for July 1994

= Politics =

Ted Adel, Canadian politician, member of the Legislative Assembly of Yukon

= Sciences =

Arthur Adel (1908–1994), American astronomer and astrophysicist

= Sports =

Carolyn Adel (born 1978), Suriname swimmer and Olympian
Gun Ädel (1938–2021), Swedish cross-country skier
Jo Adell (born 1999), American baseball player

Fictional characters

Adell ({{lang|ja|アデル}}), a major character in the video game Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories
Adel Frost ({{lang|ko|아델 프로스트}}), a minor character in the now-discontinued two-dimensional side-scrolling MMORPG Grand Chase
Adel, a minor antagonist character in the video game Final Fantasy VIII
Adél, a character in GeGeGe no Kitaro (2018)
Coco Adel, a character in the RWBY television show and novels