The baby name Adlai belongs to an obscure Biblical figure, but it sounds fresh and stylish now.
Thanks to Bek for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME ADLAI MEAN?
Adlai is an Old Testament name. But the name’s origins remain unclear, and the character isn’t exactly a headliner. Adlai is the father of Shaphat, a herdsman.
We do know this: Adlai is a contracted form of the Hebrew name Adaliah or Adalia.
Some connect it to a phrase meaning righteousness or justice of Yahweh. (That’s especially true for expressly Christian sites, like this one.) Other suggest it means witness.
It’s possible that Adlai surnames Atlee and Adley are related, but that doesn’t seem likely.
While the precise meaning of Adlai is lost to time, the name itself has endured.
HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE ADLAI?
Before we go any farther, how do you pronounce the first name Adlai?
The correct answer is ad-lay. Or, at least, the most famous Adlai rhymed his name with jay and play.
Except.
Ad-lie or ad-lye – rhymes with sky and rye – would be every bit as logical, right? It brings to mind Kai, Sarai, and Lorelai. In fact, rhyming Adlai with Zakai seems more obvious.
Also noteworthy: those AI endings might even be used as a creative way to spell girl’s names. Nine girls were named Adalae in 2023; another nine were Adalay, which is just a hint of a syllable away from Adlai.
Ada names like Adlee and Adleigh are used in small, but steady numbers. While Adlai traditionally appears on lists of baby boys names, it’s easy to imagine parents borrowing this overlooked choice for a daughter.
ADLAI STEVENSON
Obscure names inspired by the Bible have always had their fans, particularly in an era before easily accessible books of names. (Or, you know, the internet in your pocket and on your wrist.)
Born in Kentucky in the 1830s, Adlai Ewing Stevenson became Vice President of the United States under President Grover Cleveland, serving from 1893 to 1897.
Adlai liked his name well enough to pass it down to his son, Adlai Stevenson II. Junior served as governor of Illinois and twice ran for president. During his 1952 campaign, he made the memorable statement, “It is often easier to fight for principles than to live up to them.”
Adlai II was defeated by Dwight D. Eisenhower both times, perhaps in part because he was considered just too smart for the job.
His son, Adlai Stevenson III, went into politics, too, and spent more than a decade in the Senate.
Adlai Stevenson IV skipped politics for journalism and business, but could not escape the family name. When his son was born in the 1990s, he named him Adlai Stevenson V.
JOB’S TEARS
Other than the political family, there’s a grain that you might recognize, sometimes called adlay or adlai.
Also known as Chinese pearl barley or Job’s tears, it’s native to southeast Asia and sometimes used as a grain in cooking. It’s not widely known in the West, but then again, neither was quinoa not so long ago.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME ADLAI?
Early twentieth century census records show Adlais from New York to California and Illinois to Louisiana – but the name was never common. Between 1891 and 1893, the baby name Adlai appeared on the fringes of the US Top 1000.
The girl’s name Adlai was given to fewer than five children born in the year 2023. Still, it could fit in with Adeline, Adalyn, and so many similar names.
The boy’s name Adlai was given to just eight boys in 2023. But if Isaiah and Elijah and Kai are Top 100 popular names, why not Adlai? Usage peaked around 1952, back when Adlai II was running for president. We’ve mostly forgotten about it since then, but it probably seems vaguely familiar to many.
That makes the name rare, but with potential.
UNDISCOVERED RARITY
A minor character from the Old Testament, a handful of men from the same political family, and maybe a grain that’s less popular than quinoa?
It doesn’t sound like the makings of a popular given name.
And yet, the baby name Aldai ends with the letters AI. The latest trends have favored names like Zakai, Kenai, and Malakai for boys. Change the pronunciation just a bit, and Adlai fits right in with those rising popular name.
It might also appeal to parents who love antique choices like Felix and Ambrose, Benedict and Boaz. It’s offbeat, but feels traditional – a powerful combination. Overall, Adlai is an undiscovered rarity that could fit right in today.
What do you think of the baby name Adlai?
First published on February 26, 2009, this post was revised on October 26, 2024.
Me and my fiance cant seem to meet in the middle about the names we like for our second child, a girl. I have loved the name Adlai but thought of spelling it Adley at first. SHe likes the name Holyn which started as Holand “Like the tractor” and she insists Adley sounds country ?
The thing is, Adlai is pronounced ad LYE, while Adley looks like it would be pronounced ad LEE. Would you consider Hadley or Hollis? They’re both surname choices that work well for a daughter. Hadley especially splits the difference between the two.
But between Adley and Holyn? I think you win! Adley is infinitely more sophisticated. Holland would be fabulous, but Holyn seems a bit awkward – but then, I think the best way to use noun names or place names is to leave them spelled as we’re used to seeing them – Brooklyn, not Brookelynne; Sailor, not Saylir; Carter, not Kartyr. Call me a purist, but I think it makes it easier if your unusual name at least has a familiar spelling.
Then again, I insisted on Clio instead of Cleo – and have sometimes regretted it!
High on a hill with a lonely goatherd.
Add-uh-lie, Add-uh-lie, Add-uh-lie Hee Hoo! 🙂
Charlotte, that’s hilarious! I still think it’s an awesome name, though.
Bizzy, I always say -lie. I’ve never actually heard the -lee one before
Reading this, I was really beginning to like Adlai — until I tried saying it out loud and it sounded like it belonged to the song “The Lonely Goatherd” from The Sound of Music. Now I can’t disassociate they two in my mind :o(
Adlai is very cool. I remember a while back I saw someone considering Adlai and Rose for their boy/girl twins — both lovely names, but they seemed a bit oddly matched to me.
Can we clear up Adlai’s pronunciation? I’ve seen it listed as AD-lee and AD-lie. I really prefer the -lie pronunciation. I really like this one! The only drawback for me would be the uncertain meaning.
Lola, my mom is the family tree expert, and she never had the heart to tell Pap-pap, but there isn’t any connection unfortunately. He was also convinced we were related to Robert Louis Stevenson… Being full of Scottish pride, I’m pretty sure he thought we were related to any good ol’ Scots running around and the shared last name gave him some credibility 😉 I’m still tempted to use it to pay tribute to Pap-pap, though, since I know he loved it so…
Cat, John Adlai is super handsome. You’re right, though, in the middle name spot, I find him incredibly charming and a real winner.
I’ll second Cat. Adlai is a wicked cool name that would liven up any classic he’s paired with. I really like his history, as it were and while there’s none among my tree, I’d consider it just for his neat sound and cool look. Bek, how awesome to have that possible link! Are you digging into it at all?
Funny, I’ve been crushing on simple John the past week or so, and while I have him in the middle in a few spots (it’s one of Ken’s middles) I keep picking at him to let me think about John up front, what a switch that would be! So Cat’s thought of John Adlai is really, really appealing at the moment! Adlai gets a huge :thumbsup: from me. Uncommon yet familiar, handsome, Biblical, yeah Adlai’s a winner all right! 😀
I love Adlai, actually. I think it’s really nerdy chic and underused. My combo is Rufus Adlai John/Paul at the moment. I just think it’s awesome and on the point of obscure at this point, which makes it all the more appealing, especially in the middle. It’s like Ferdinand: can liven pretty much anything up. John Adlai, Thomas Adlai, Peter Adlai, etc.
Thanks, Verity! As it would happen, my mother’s mother is a Stevenson and my great-grandfather often insisted we were related to Adlai. I know that’s where I first heard the name, and it’s really grown on me ever since.
Interesting to see the connection to Adalia. I have friends who just named a daughter Adelia, and never thought of it as a masculine name, but it’s awfully close to the Biblical moniker. Really interesting…
I would be tickled pink to meet an Adlai, especially not a Stevenson 😉
It’s been a while since you posted this, but I’m considering Adlai for a girl. With how uncommon Adlai is and how common the many forms of Ad- names are for girls, I wonder if people will take it without blinking an eye or if it will be confusing. I love the meaning and the short, sharpness of the name.
I’m a little late to add to the 11 year old pronunciation discution, but the latest Adlai Stevenson clarified that his family pronounced it Ad-lay (in response to a Mark Twain poem that joked about the pronunciation), though I’ve also read that Ad-lie is an alternative.
I think Adlai on a girl would attract attention because it’s different, not because others perceive it as masculine. That said, you mentioned that we’re in an age of SO many Addie names. And I agree – for that reason, I think it has potential for a daughter.
Thanks for weighing in!