What does Colette mean?
Colette is a French short form of Nicolette, “victory of the people.”
What does Adele mean?
Adèle comes from the Germanic adal, “noble.”
Colette vs Adele
Which is more popular?
Colette is more popular than Adele today: about 962 US babies were given the name Colette in 2025, compared with 362 named Adele.
| Colette | Adele | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Victory of the people | Noble |
| Origin | French | French |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | koh-LET | ah-DEL |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1892 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (962) | 1918 (1,030) |
| In 2025 | 962 | 362 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Steady |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Colette
Adele
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Colette | Adele |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 4,403 | 2,077 |
| 2010s | 4,998 | 4,021 |
| 2000s | 1,666 | 1,281 |
| 1990s | 1,426 | 870 |
| 1980s | 1,790 | 846 |
| 1970s | 2,494 | 1,006 |
| 1960s | 4,764 | 1,892 |
| 1950s | 3,670 | 3,863 |
| 1940s | 1,204 | 3,763 |
| 1930s | 747 | 4,076 |
| 1920s | 461 | 7,660 |
| 1910s | 250 | 6,880 |
| 1900s | 76 | 1,881 |
| 1890s | 38 | 1,498 |
| 1880s | 0 | 748 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Colette or Adele more popular?
Colette is more popular than Adele today: about 962 US babies were given the name Colette in 2025, compared with 362 named Adele.
What is the difference between Colette and Adele?
Colette means Victory of the people (French origin), while Adele means Noble (French origin).
Which name is older, Colette or Adele?
In US records, Colette first appears in 1892 and Adele in 1880, so Adele has the longer recorded history.