| Alice | Adeline | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Noble | Noble |
| Origin | Germanic | Germanic |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | AL-iss | AD-uh-line |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1921 (11,955) | 2016 (4,120) |
| In 2025 | 3,547 | 3,864 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Alice | Adeline |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 20,743 | 19,006 |
| 2010s | 30,636 | 23,383 |
| 2000s | 8,271 | 5,719 |
| 1990s | 6,466 | 1,180 |
| 1980s | 7,330 | 493 |
| 1970s | 11,132 | 348 |
| 1960s | 26,954 | 532 |
| 1950s | 52,074 | 905 |
| 1940s | 72,392 | 1,619 |
| 1930s | 78,968 | 3,450 |
| 1920s | 110,526 | 9,917 |
| 1910s | 85,866 | 8,985 |
| 1900s | 35,232 | 2,646 |
| 1890s | 24,415 | 1,697 |
| 1880s | 17,142 | 932 |
Alice comes from the Old French Aalis, a short form of Adelais (Adelaide), from Germanic elements meaning “noble.” Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland fixed it in the imagination.
A French elaboration of Germanic adal, “noble.”
Adeline is more popular than Alice today: about 3,864 US babies were given the name Adeline in 2025, compared with 3,547 named Alice.
Alice means Noble (Germanic origin), while Adeline means Noble (Germanic origin).
In US records, Alice first appears in 1880 and Adeline in 1880, so Alice has the longer recorded history.