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Adolf - Origin and Meaning of the name

Meaning of the name Adolf

[ 2 syll. a-dol(f), ad-o-lf ] The boy name Adolf is pronounced as EYDaaLF KEY. Adolf is largely used in the German language and it is derived from Germanic origins. The name's meaning is noble wolf. Two-element name derived from the elements 'adal' meaning noble, honorable ; 'wulf' meaning wolf. Adalwolf (Germanic) and Adwulf (Germanic) are original forms of Adolf. The 'wulf' (wolf) element is commonly used in Germanic names, and it is often associated with having warrior-like characteristics. The French Adolphe was popular in 19th-century France. Adolphus has been a common name in the Swedish royal family, as borne by the Swedish monarch King Gustavus Adolphus II (1594-1632). The name was first brought into Britain by the Normans, replacing the Old English Aethelwulf. The name was used by 17th- and 18th-century German royalty, and was again introduced into Britain by the Hanoverians in the 18th century. George III's seventh son bore the name Adolphus. The name Adolf was hardly used after World War II due to the association with Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), the Nazi party leader in Germany during World War II. The short forms Dolph and Dolphus are sometimes used as independent names, as borne by the Swedish actor Dolph Lundgren (1957-). The name Adalwolfa (German) is the female equivalent of Adolf.

Aatto (Finnish), Aatu (Finnish), Adelphus (Latinized), Adolfo (Italian and Spanish), Adolfus (Scandinavian), Adolphe (French), Adolpho (Spanish), and Adolphus (Latinized and Scandinavian) are variants of Adolf. Other forms of Adolf include the short forms Dolf (Dutch, German, and Scandinavian), Dolph (English), and Dolphus (English), the pet form Ahlf (German), and the variant spelling Adolph (English and German).

Adolf is unusual as a baby name for boys. Its usage peaked modestly in 1906 with 0.006% of baby boys being given the name Adolf. It ranked at #852 then. The baby name has since experienced a fall in popularity, and is now of very light use. Among the group of boy names directly linked to Adolf, Adolfo (Italian and Spanish) was the most frequently used in 2008.

A baby name that sounds like Adolf is the name Adolph (English and German).

A famous person named Adolf is Politician, Adolf Hitler, born 20 April 1889 - 30 April 1945, Braunau am Inn, Austria.

KEY: English pronunciation for Adolf: EY as in "ate (EY.T)" ; D as in "dee (D.IY)" ; AA as in "odd (AA.D)" ; L as in "lee (L.IY)" ; F as in "fee (F.IY)"


 
Popularity Trend
for Adolf
from 1900 to 2008
Variant Popularity Chart
for Adolf
in 2008
 

Meaning of Adolf Meaning of Dolph Meaning of Dolphus Meaning of Dolf Meaning of Ahlf Meaning of Adolph Meaning of Adolpho Meaning of Adolphus Meaning of Adolphe Meaning of Adolfus Meaning of Adolfo Meaning of Adelphus Meaning of Aatu Meaning of Aatto Meaning of Adalwolfa Meaning of Randolph Meaning of Rudolph Meaning of Rudolf Meaning of Rudi Meaning of Rudy Meaning of Ruedi Meaning of Rolf Meaning of Rudi Meaning of Rudy Meaning of Gertrude