Variant of Adele, from Germanic 'adal' meaning 'noble'.
Adell is a variant spelling of Adele or Adela, ultimately tracing back to the Old High German element 'adal,' meaning noble or nobility. This root gave rise to a vast family of names across medieval Europe — Adelaide, Adeline, Adelheid, and Adela among them — all sharing the same aristocratic core. The Normans spread many of these forms into England following the Conquest of 1066, where they flourished among the nobility for centuries.
Historical bearers include Adela of Normandy, daughter of William the Conqueror and a formidable political figure in her own right, who ruled Blois as regent and is credited with pressuring her son Stephen to pursue the English crown. The name has appeared across European royal houses and literary works throughout the centuries, including as a minor character in Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre,' where Adèle Varens, Rochester's ward, embodies French charm and vivacity. The spelling Adell peaked in American usage in the early twentieth century, when phonetic or ornamental respellings were fashionable.
It has a softer, more personal feel than the starker Adele — a name that surged globally after the British singer Adele (born Adele Laurie Blue Adkins) achieved stratospheric fame in the 2010s. Adell retains the original name's warmth and old-world elegance while feeling distinctly individual.