Addie Names: Getting to Addie from Adeline, Adelaide, and more

Let’s talk about Addie names.

The nickname Addie is charming and vintage, spirited and current. It fits right in with Ellie and Lainey and Sadie, too. 

Lots of baby girls have been given an Addie name in recent years, too. Surname-style Addison and sweet Adeline have been popular baby names. 

Factor in all those Maddie names – Madison, Madelyn, Madeleine, and so on – and it’s been a dominant sound for the past two decades.

Addie’s popularity might make for a great opportunity. Beyond the chart-topping favorites, lots of names – traditional and daring – shorten to Addie. That means it’s a great fits-in/stands-out kind of nickname option.

POPULAR ADDIE NAMES

ADDIE, ADDY, ADDI

It’s worth noting that Addie is a complete given name, one that requires no formal version. Also notable: so many amazing names shorten to Addie that the name will always be more common than its popularity rank suggests. It’s a cute nickname – but also a beautiful name that stands on its own.

ADA

On sound alone, Addie sounds like a nickname for Ada. Visually, though? Addie is a much longer name. Here’s guessing that most parents who choose compact, vintage Ada aren’t likely to shorten it. But just like Sarah could be Sadie, there’s no reason Ada couldn’t choose to be Addie, too. (Or Adi or Ady.) While Ada might have separate roots, in most cases, it’s also related to the Germanic element adal, meaning nobility, just like many of the names on this list.

ADALEE

It might be a mashup of Ada and Lee, or a respelling of Adalie, which is a little closer to Natalie.

ADALINE

This spelling has always been in use, but the 2015 Blake Lively movie The Age of Adaline gaveit a boost.

ADALYN, ADALYNN

Is this an Ada-lynn combination in the spirit of Adalee? Or is it a respelling of Adeline, possibly based on a preferred pronunciation? It’s hard to say, but it’s quite popular among Addie names.

ADDILYN

One more combo name/phonetic spelling, though this looks more like Addie-plus-Lynn.

ADDISON

Surname name Madison soared from the 1990s into the early 2000s. Sound-alike Addison followed. Then the popular television series Grey’s Anatomy introduced a character by the name, and Addison soared even higher, taking Addie along for the ride. Spellings like Addyson, Addisyn, and Adyson have all ranked in the US Top 1000 previously, but as of 2024, only Addison remains on the charts. It’s originally a surname meaning “son of Adam.”

ADELAIDE

In 2005, Adelaide returned to the US Top 1000 after more than five decades’ absence. It’s a regal name, like Eleanor, and a regal-name-turned-place-name like Charlotte. Despite resembling those more popular names, Adelaide is still slightly under-the-radar. 

ADELE

The name Adele was boosted by a very famous person, indeed; the single-named singer Adele. Spare and sophisticated, Adele is a girl’s name with a long history of use.

ADELINA

Dozens of Adeline variations have been used across the years. Adelina is one of the more popular choices now. Gail Carson Levine gave this name to a character in her young adult novel The Two Princesses of Bamarre.

ADELINE

Barbershop quartets everywhere have made “Sweet Adeline” a signature song. First published in 1903, it’s never left the popular imagination. Fun fact: the first version of the song was about Sweet Rosalie. Inspiration for the name change came from opera singer Adelina Patti. It’s a common full name for Addie. The baby name Adeline is far more popular in the 2020s than it was a century ago. 

ADELYN, ADELYNN

More phonetic takes on Adeline and company.

ADHARA

An Arabic name borrowed from a bright star in the constellation Canis Major.

ADLEY

Probably a variation of Hadley, boosted by the popularity of so many similar names.

ADRIANA, ADRIANNA, ADRIENNE

All three are feminine forms of Adrian, each with their stories. Sound-wise, getting to Addie is something of a stretch, but the letters are right there.

RELATED TO ADELINE

ADALHEID, ADELHEID

An old school version of Adelaide, with several possible variations and spellings. Popular nickname Heidi now stands on its own. So do other spin-offs, like Alice.

ADELA

A lovely Adal- name option with the nickname Addie, Adela is also cousin to the Old English Ethel.

ADELAIS

Sometimes listed as a French variant of Adelaide, the softer “s” ending might appeal, and, of course, is far less common, too.

ADELIA, ADDELIA

A longer form of Adele, with a nod to the very popular Amelia.

ADELIE

A French form of Adele, and the name of a type of penguin. The Antarctic bird got its name from Adèlie d’Urville, the wife of French explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville. Sure to be confused with Natalie and Hadley, but a stylish possibility anyhow.

MORE FORMAL CHOICES FOR THE NICKNAME ADDIE

ADABELLE

One of many double names on this list.

ADAEZE

In the African language Igbo, Adaeze means “eldest duaghter of the king.”

ADAH

It looks like Ada-with-an-H, but Adah is an Old Testament name meaning “adornment.”

ADAIA, ADAIAH, ADAYA

An Old Testament name, typically masculine, with the same Hebrew roots as Adah: adornament.

ADAIR

Scottish surname derived from Edgar, Adair feels wearable for a girl, thanks to references like the ill-fated Virginia Dare and Dead Like Me’s Daisy Adair. Actress Adair Tishler played a recurring character on the NBC sci fi hit Heroes.

ADALAINE, ADELAINE

Take Adeline, add Elaine. A possible formal name for popular nickname Lainey.

ADALAYA, ADALEIA, ADALEYA, ADELAYA, ADELYA

Most likely another combination name, or an elaboration of Adela.

ADALEAH

Another cousin to Adalaya, but with a slightly different sound.

ADALENE, ADELENE

Adeline meets Charlene.

ADALET, ADALETH, ADALETT, ADALETTE

Adalet is a powerful Turkish name meaning justice. In the United States, it’s possible parents have invented it based on Ada and Scarlett.

ADALIA, ADAHLIA, ADALIAH

Another Hebrew name, this one borrowed from Bible – and from the boys. It’s probably another form of Adlai, of uncertain meaning. But it’s easy to imagine Adela or Ada leading to Adalia, too. 

ADALIDA

Drop a few letters from Adelaida, and this unusual name is the obvious result.

ADALINDA

Medieval combination name.

ADALIS, ADALIZ, ADALISA, ADELISA

Almost certainly a combination of Elizabeth and Ada.

ADALUNA, ADELUNA

A modern smoosh of Ada and Luna with vintage vibes.

ADAMAE

The combinations just keep coming!

ADAMARI, ADAMARIS

Especially popular with Spanish-speaking parents, particularly because adamo means “I love.”

ADAMARY

Ada meets Mary.

ADANA, ADANNA

Like Adaeze, Adanna is often an Igbo name. In this case, it means “eldest daughter of the father.” Adana can also be a feminine form of Adan, which is the Spanish equivalent of Adam – and makes Adana a cousin to Addison.

ADARA, ADARAH

A Hebrew name, Adara also means noble.

ADARELI

Rearrange the letters of Adriel, and you’ll almost have Adareli, a Hebrew name from the Old Testament. It’s also possible this is a creative combination, favored by Mexican families.

ADASSA, ADASSAH, ADESSA

It might be a romance language form of the Hebrew Hadassah. But here’s another possibility: in Spain’s Canary Islands, the language Guanche was once widely spoken. It’s been extinct for generations. But Adassa may mean laughter, surviving as a heritage choice.

ADELAILA, ADELILA

Another elaboartion of Adela, or a smoosh name.

ADELANI

It might be another fresh invention, based on the trending Hawaiian ending -lani.

ADELITA

Early in the twentieth century, Adela Velarde Pérez was one of many women who joined the Mexican Revolution. They served in support roles, nursing and cooking for soliders. But they also became spies and even joined in the fighting themselves. Folk song “La Adelita” remembers their work, based on Adela’s nickname.

ADERET

From a Hebrew word meaning cape or crown.

ADERYN

A modern Welsh nature naming meaning bird, Aderyn fits in with Addie and all of those other names inspired by birds so in vogue now.

ADESINA

From a Yoruban name typically reserved for a firstborn child. While it is typically masculine, the name’s limited use in the US puts it on the list for girls.

ADHIRA

A Sanskrit name, Adhira can mean impatient. But depending on the exact spelling in the original alphabet, it might also translate to lightning.

ADIA, ADIAH

Rare name with several possible origins and associations. Sarah MacLachlan chose the name for her 1997 song “Adia.” In that case, the name likely comes from Adeodatus, a now-forgotten Latin name meaning “gift of God.”

ADILET

A gender neutral Kyrgyz and Kazakh name with Arabic roots, Adilet means justice. 

ADINA

Aslo spelled Adinah, Adeena, and Adena, this Hebrew name means delicate.

ADRIEL, ADRIELA, ADRIELLE

Adriel is a fast-rising masculine name from the Old Testament. Adriela and Adrielle are feminine forms, though all three spellings are used for girls.

ARIADNE

She saved Theseus from the Minotaur in the maze, but has never been popular with American parents. But is our Penelope/Calliope moment, Ariadne has potential.

CARIDAD

The Spanish equivalent of Charity, Caridad is typically shortened to Dadi in Spanish. But the name Addie is nested in Caridad, too. 

Would you ever use the nickname Addie? If so, which formal version would you use? 

This post was originally published on February 9, 2008, and was substantially revised and republished on August 13, 2012 and again on June 5, 2025.