Adelyn
/ˈæd.ə.lɪn/
Adelyn is a modern variant of Adeline, blending the classic name with the popular suffix -lyn.
Adeline itself derives from the Germanic element adal, meaning “noble.” The original Adeline entered English via Old French and was common among the Norman aristocracy following the 1066 conquest of England.
The -lyn ending reflects an American naming pattern that peaked in the 2016s, producing a large family of variants: Adalyn, Adalynn, Adelynn, and Adelyn.
What the name Adelyn means
Each spelling charts separately on the SSA records, fragmenting what is essentially a single name across multiple entries.
Adelyn peaked at No. 194 in 2016 and in 2024 ranked No. 380 with 1,672 births. The decline from its mid-2010s peak follows the broader cooling of the -lyn suffix trend.
If all Adeline-family spellings were combined, the aggregate name would rank significantly higher.
Historical figures bearing the root name include Adeline Virginia Woolf (1882-1941), whose first given name was Adeline though she used Virginia exclusively.
Saint Adeline (died c. 1125), a Benedictine abbess in Normandy, provides the name’s primary religious association.
The sweet song “Sweet Adeline” (1903), originally titled “You’re the Flower of My Heart, Sweet Adeline,” made the name a cultural fixture in early 20th-century America and inspired the barbershop harmony organization Sweet Adelines International.
Adelyn’s 3-syllable flow (AD-eh-lin) shares its rhythmic pattern with Evelyn, Madelyn, and Jocelyn, a group of -lyn names that collectively dominated the 2010s girls’ charts.
US popularity over time
Numerology and symbolism
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Famous people named Adelyn
Adelyn - similar names
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