Explore the Family Name Adel

The meaning of Adel

1. German: from a short form of any of a number of personal names beginning with Old High German adal ‘noble’. Compare Edel. 2. Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Adel ‘nobility’. 3. Muslim: from the Arabic personal name ʿĀdil ‘just, sincere, equitable’ (see Adil). Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Ali, Aman, Ebrahim, Farid, Fawad, Ibrahim, Kaveh, Mohamed, Mohammad, Shahed, Shoeb, Yousef.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Adel in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Adel has grown in popularity over a decade from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the surname was ranked 43,629th in popularity and by 2010, it had risen to the 38,691st position, marking an increase of 11.32%. The count of people with this surname also increased within this time period, going from 466 in 2000 to 571 in 2010, indicating a growth of 22.53%. Consequently, the proportion of the surname Adel per 100,000 individuals also reflected this growth, increasing by 11.76%.

20002010Change
Rank#43,629#38,69111.32%
Count46657122.53%
Proportion per 100k0.170.1911.76%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Adel

As for the ethnicity associated with the surname Adel, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that it is predominantly associated with individuals identifying as White, with a slight increase of 1.45% from 69.74% in 2000 to 70.75% in 2010. The percentage of individuals with this surname identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased by 25.51%, falling from 12.23% in 2000 to 9.11% in 2010. Meanwhile, the representation of those identifying with two or more ethnicities saw an increase of 20.05%, rising from 7.73% to 9.28%. Interestingly, there was a new emergence of Hispanic representation at 6.3% in 2010, whereas previously in 2000, there was none recorded. The proportion of individuals identifying as Black, however, fell to zero in 2010 from 5.15% in 2000. There were no individuals with the Adel surname identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year.

20002010Change
White69.74%70.75%1.45%
Two or More Races7.73%9.28%20.05%
Asian/Pacific Islander12.23%9.11%-25.51%
Hispanic0%6.3%0%
Black5.15%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%