Adolf
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Adolf (also spelt Adolph or Adolphe, Adolfo and when Latinised Adolphus) is a given name used in German-speaking countries, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Flanders, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and to a lesser extent in various Central European and East European countries with non-Germanic languages, such as Lithuanian Adolfas and Latvian Ādolfs. Adolphus can also appear as a surname, as in John Adolphus, the English historian. The female forms Adolphine and Adolpha are far more rare than the male ones.
The name is a compound derived from the Old High German Athalwolf (or Hadulf), a composition of athal, or adal, meaning "noble" (or had(u)-, meaning “battle, combat”), and wolf. The name is cognate to the Anglo-Saxon name Æthelwulf (also Eadulf or Eadwulf). The name can also be derived from the ancient Germanic elements "Wald" meaning "power", "brightness" and wolf (Waldwulf).
King Adolf of Germany | |
Pronunciation | German pronunciation: [ˈaːdɔlf] |
---|---|
Gender | Male |
Language(s) | German, French, Italian, Spanish, Welsh, Portuguese |
Origin | |
Meaning | Noble wolf, Wolf power or Bright wolf |
Other names | |
Variant form(s) | Adi (nickname), Addie (nickname), Ady (nickname), Addy (nickname), Alf (short), Alfie (nickname), Adolff, Adolph, Adolphe, Ādolfs, Adolphus, Adolfo, Aatu, Dolfy (nickname), Dolphy (nickname), Adalwolf, Waldwolf |
Popularity and usage[]
During the 19th and early 20th century, Adolf was a popular name for baby boys in German-speaking countries and to a lesser extent also in French-speaking countries (spelled there as Adolphe). Due to negative associations with Adolf Hitler, it has declined in popularity as a given name for males since the end of World War II.[1] After Hitler came to power, Adolf became popular again, especially in 1933-1934 and 1937. From 1942, when more and more Germans began to suspect that the war Hitler had started could end in disaster, Adolf's share of all boys' first names plummeted steadily.[2] It remains common among men born before 1945. Adolf Dassler, the founder of Adidas, used his nickname, 'Adi', in his professional life and for the name of his company.[3] After 1945, a few German people still were named Adolf due to family traditions.[4]
Similarly, the French version, Adolphe—previously a fairly common name in France and the name of a classic French novel—has virtually disappeared, along with Italian Adolfo.
However, the Spanish and Portuguese version, Adolfo, has not become stigmatised in the same way. It is still in common use in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries across the world.[5]
Monarchs and nobles[]
- Adulf Evil-child (fl. AD 973), more commonly known as Eadwulf Evil-child, Earl of Bamburgh
- Adolf of Altena (1157–1220), Archbishop of Cologne
- Adolf, King of the Romans (1255–1298), King of Germany
- Adolf, Count Palatine of the Rhine (1300–1327)
- Adolf, Duke of Jülich-Berg (1370–1437)
- Adolphus VIII, Count of Holstein (1401–1459), Duke of southern Jutland
- Adolf, Duke of Bavaria (1434–1441)
- Adolph I, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (d. 1473)
- Adolph II, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (1458–1526)
- Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (1526–1586)
- Adolf of Nassau (1540–1568), Count of Nassau, brother of William the Silent
- Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden (1594–1632), King of Sweden
- Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1658–1708)
- Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden (1710–1771)
- Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (1774–1850), son of George III of the United Kingdom
- Gustaf IV Adolf (1778–1837), King of Sweden
- Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe (1817–1893)
- Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1817–1905)
- Ernest Augustus William Adolphus George Frederick, Crown Prince of Hanover (1845–1923)
- Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe (1859–1917), regent of Lippe
- Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge (1868–1927)
- Gustaf VI Adolf (1882–1973), King of Sweden
- Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe (1883–1936)
- Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten (1906–1947), Prince of Sweden
Saints[]
- Saint Adulf, early medieval Anglo-Saxon saint
- St. Adolphus, 9th century Spanish martyr
- St. Adolf of Osnabrück, 13th century German martyr
- St. Adolphus Ludigo-Mkasa, 19th century Ugandan martyr
People with the given name in any variant[]
Adolf[]
- Adolf Abraham Halevi Fraenkel, German-Israeli mathematician (1891–1965)
- Adolf Albin, Romanian chess player (1848–1920)
- Adolf Anderssen, German chess player (1818–1879)
- Adolf Appellöf, Swedish zoologist (1857–1921)
- Adolf von Baeyer, German chemist who synthesised indigo and developed a nomenclature for cyclic compounds (1835–1917)
- Adolf Bastian, German anthropologist (1826–1905)
- Adolf A. Berle, lawyer, educator, author, and U.S. diplomat (1895–1971)
- Adolf Bernhard Christoph Hilgenfeld, German theologian (1823–1907)
- Ādolfs Bļodnieks, 9th Prime Minister of Latvia (1889–1962)
- Adolf Born, Czech artist and filmmaker (1930–2016)
- Adolf Brand, German journalist (1874–1945)
- Adolf Brudes, German racing driver (1899-1986)
- Adolf Busch, German violinist and composer (1891–1952)
- Adolf Butenandt, German biochemist (1903–1995)
- Adolf Caesar, American actor, voice-over artist, theatre director, dancer, and choreographer (1933–1986)
- Adolf Čech, Czech conductor (1841–1903)
- Adolf Charlemagne or Sharleman, Russian painter (1826–1901)
- Adolf Cluss, German-American architect (1825–1905)
- Adolf "Dado" Topić, Croatian singer (1949–)
- Adolf Daens, Belgian theologian (1839–1907)
- Adolf "Adi" Dassler, German entrepreneur and founder of Adidas (1900–1978)
- Adolf Deucher, Swiss politician (1831–1912)
- Adolf Dymsza, Polish comic actor (1900–1975)
- Adolf Eduard Herstein, Polish-born painter and engraver (1869–1932)
- Adolf Ehrnrooth, Finnish general (1905–2004)
- Adolf Eichler, German civil architect (1869–1911)
- Adolf Eichmann, German/Austrian Nazi SS officer (1906–1962)
- Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, Finnish-Swedish explorer (1832–1901)
- Adolf Etolin, Finnish explorer (1799–1876)
- Adolf Eugen Fick, German inventor (1829–1901)
- Adolf Fischer (officer), German Nazi general (1893–1947)
- Adolf Friedrich von Schack, German poet (1815–1894)
- Adolf Galland, German fighter pilot (1912–1996)
- Adolf Glassbrenner, German humourist (1810–1876)
- Adolf Grunbaum, philosopher of science (1923–2018)
- Adolf Guyer-Zeller, Swiss entrepreneur (1839–1899)
- Adolf Hamann, German Nazi general (1885–1945)
- Adolf Hedin, Swedish newspaper publisher and politician (1834–1905)
- Adolf Hempt, founder of the Pasteur Institute in Novi Sad, Serbia (1874–1943)
- Adolf Hitler, German dictator and leader of the Nazi party (1889–1945)
- Adolf Hurwitz, German mathematician (1859–1919)
- Adolf Holtzmann, German philologist (1810–1870)
- Adolf Hütter, Austrian footballer (1970–)
- Adolf Just, German naturalist and founder of Luvos (1859–1936)
- Adolf Tolkachev, Soviet electronics engineer (1927–1986)
- Adolf Kaufmann, Austrian landscape painter (1848–1916)
- Adolf Kertész, Hungarian footballer (1892–1920)
- Adolf Kneser, German mathematician (1862–1930)
- Adolf Köster, German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), diplomat, Foreign Minister of Germany and Interior Minister of Germany (1883–1930)
- Adolf Kussmaul, German physician and the first to describe dyslexia (1822–1902)
- Adolf Lande, drug-control official (1905 – c. 1970)
- Adolf Lindenbaum, Polish mathematician (1904–1941)
- Adolf Loos, Austrian architect (1870–1933)
- Adolf Lu Hitler Marak, Indian politician (born c. 1958)
- Adolf Lundin, Swedish oil magnate (1932–2006)
- Adolf Menjou, American actor
- Adolf Merckle, German entrepreneur and billionaire (1934–2009)
- Adolf Meyer (architect), German architect (1881–1929)
- Adolf Meyer (psychiatrist), Swiss-American psychiatrist (1866–1950)
- Adolf Noreen, Swedish linguist (1854–1925)
- Adolf Oberländer, German caricaturist (1845–1923)
- Adolf Ogi, Swiss politician (1942–)
- Adolf Opálka, Czech anti-Nazi fighter (1915–1942)
- Adolf Otto Reinhold Windaus, German chemist (1876–1959)
- Adolf Overweg, German scientist (1822–1852)
- Adolf Petrovsky, Soviet diplomat (1887–?)
- Adolf Pilar von Pilchau, Baltic German politician (1851–1925)
- Adolf Pilch, Polish resistance fighter (1914–2000)
- Adolf Reinach, German phenomenologist (1883–1917)
- Adolf Rudnicki, Polish-Jewish author (1912–1990)
- Adolf Schallamach, Jewish scientist (1905–1997)
- Adolf Schärf, President of Austria (1890–1965)
- Adolf Scherer, Slovak footballer of German descent (1938–)
- Adolf Schlagintweit, German explorer (1829–1857)
- Adolf Schmal, Austrian fencer (1872–1919)
- Adolf Schreyer, German painter (1828–1899)
- Adolf Shayevich, Rabbi of the Moscow Choral Synagogue and one of two Chief Rabbis of Russia (1937-)
- Adolf Smekal, Austrian physicist (1895–1959)
- Adolf Stelzer, Swiss footballer (1908–1977)
- Adolf Stieler, German cartographer (1775–1836)
- Adolf Stoecker, German theologian (1835–1909)
- Adolf Strauss, general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany (1879–1973)
- Adolf Strauss (composer), Czech pianist, violinist, composer, and kapellmeister (1902–1944)
- Adolf Theuer, German SS officer at Auschwitz concentration camp (1920–1947)
- Adolf Tolkachev, Soviet engineer and CIA spy (1927–1986)
- Adolf van den Berg, South African cricketer (1978–)
- Adolf von Baeyer, German chemist (1835–1917)
- Adolf Bniński, Polish agricultural, conservative, and royalist activist (1884–1942)
- Adolf von Harnack, German theologian (1851–1930)
- Adolf von Henselt, German composer (1814–1889)
- Adolf von Hildebrand, sculptor (1847–1921)
- Adolf von Sonnenthal, Austrian actor (1834–1909)
- Adolf Tortilowicz von Batocki-Friebe, Lithuanian nobleman, lawyer and politician
- Adolf Walbrook, Austrian actor (1896–1967)
- Adolf Wahrmund Austrian-German orientalist (1827–1913)
- Adolf Wilbrandt, German novelist (1837–1911)
- Adolf Wölfli, Swiss artist (1864–1930)
- Adolf Ziegler, German painter and politician (1892–1959)
- Adolf Zeising, German psychologist and founder of the Golden Ratio (1810–1876)
- Adolf Zutter, German SS concentration camp officer (1889–1947)
- Adolf Froelich, Polish inventor (1887–1943)
- Adolf Rzepko, Polish composer (1825–1892)
Adolfas[]
- Adolfas Valeška, Lithuanian-American artist (1905–1994)
Adolfo[]
- Adolfo Aldana, Spanish footballer (1966–)
- Adolfo Baines, Spanish footballer (1972–)
- Adolfo Battaglia, Italian journalist and politician (1930–)
- Adolfo Bautista, Mexican footballer (1979–)
- Adolfo Bruno, a.k.a. "Big Al", Italian-American mobster (1945–2003)
- Adolfo Camarillo, Ranchero, philanthropist, co-founder of the city of Camarillo, California (1864-1958)
- Adolfo Carrión Jr., served for seven years as borough president of the Bronx (1961–)
- Adolfo Celi, Italian actor and director (1922–1986)
- Adolfo Constanzo, American serial killer, drug trafficker, and cult leader (1962–1989)
- Adolfo Correia da Rocha, Portuguese writer and otolaryngologist (1907–1995)
- Adolfo Schwelm Cruz, Argentine racing driver (1923-2012)
- Adolfo Domínguez, Spanish fashion designer (1950–)
- Adolfo Domínguez Gerardo, Mexican footballer (1991–)
- Adolfo Gaich, Argentine footballer (1999–)
- Adolfo Gregorio, American footballer (1982–)
- Adolfo Guzman, American footballer (1995–)
- Adolfo Guzman, Cuban pianist (1920–1976)
- Adolfo Hernández, Mexican footballer (1997–)
- Adolfo Hirsch, Argentine footballer (1986–)
- Adolfo Lima, Uruguayan footballer (1990–)
- Adolfo Luxúria Canibal, Portuguese musician and lawyer (1959–)
- Adolfo Machado, Panamanian footballer (1985–)
- Adolfo Miranda, Spanish footballer (1989��)
- Adolfo Muñoz, Ecuadorian footballer (1997–)
- Adolfo Ovalle, Chilean footballer (1970–)
- Adolfo Ovalle, Chilean footballer (1997–)
- Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Argentine activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner (1931–)
- Adolfo Ríos, Mexican footballer (1966–)
- Adolfo Sardiña, Cuban-American fashion designer "solely known by his first name" (1933–)
- Adolfo Suárez, Spanish politician, the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Spain during the Spanish transition to democracy (1932–2014)
- Adolfo Valencia, Colombian footballer (1968–)
- Adolfo Veber Tkalčević, Croatian philologist, writer, literary critic, and politician (1825–1889)
- Adolfo Zumelzú, Argentine footballer (1902–1973)
Adolph[]
- Adolph Achille Gereau, Virgin Islands civil servant and founder of V.I. Republicans (1893–1994)
- Adolph Althoff, German Circus owner (1913–1998)
- Adolph Baller, Jewish Austrian-American pianist (1909–1994)
- Adolph Bieberstein, American football player (1902–1981)
- Adolph Caesar, American actor (1933–1986)
- Adolph von Carlowitz, German army General
- Adolph Coors, American businessman and founder of Coors Brewery (1847–1929)
- Adolph "A.J." DeLaGarza, American footballer (1987–)
- Adolph Deutsch, British-American composer, conductor, and arranger (1897–1980)
- Adolph Fischer, German labor union activist (1858–1887)
- Adolph Goldschmidt, German-Jewish art historian (1863–1944)
- Adolph Green, Jewish-American lyricist and playwright (1914–2002)
- Adolph Hallis, South African pianist, composer, and teacher (1896–1987)
- Adolph Heinrich Joseph Sutro, mayor of San Francisco (1830–1898)
- Adolph Jacobs, American guitar player (1939–2014)
- Adolph Joffe, Russian-Jewish diplomat (1883–1927)
- Adolph Johannes Brand, South African pianist and composer (1934–)
- Adolph Kissell, American football player (1920–1983)
- Adolph Kliebhan, American football player (1897–1963)
- Adolph Koldofsky, Canadian violinist (1905–1951)
- Adolph Kolping, German priest (1813–1865)
- Adolph Kukulowicz, Canadian ice hockey player (1933–2008)
- Adolf Malan, former South African rugby union footballer (1961–)
- Adolph Malan, South African flying ace in World War II (1910–1963)
- Adolph Marx, birth name of American comic actor Harpo Marx (1888–1961)
- Adolph Mongo, American political strategist and commentator (1954–)
- Adolph Ochs, American newspaper publisher (1858–1935)
- Adolph L. Reed, Jr., professor of political science and writer (1947–)
- Adolph Rupp, American college basketball coach (1901–1977)
- Adolph "Dolph" Schayes, American basketball player (1928–2015)
- Adolph G. Schwenk, American Marine general (1922–2004)
- Adolph “Young Dolph” Thornton, American Independent Rap artist (1985-2021)
- Adolph Tidemand, Norwegian classical romantic painter (1814–1876)
- Adolph von Carlowitz, German army commander during the First World War (1858–1928)
- Adolph P. Yushkevich, Russian mathematician (1906–1993)
- Adolph Zukor, Hungarian-Jewish American film mogul and founder of Paramount Pictures (1873–1976)
- Hubert Blaine Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff Sr., American typesetter whose actual name starts with "Adolph" (1914–1997)
- Young Dolph, American rapper whose given name was Adolph Robert Thornton, Jr. (1985-2021)
Adolphe[]
- Adolphe Adam, French composer and music critic (1803–1856)
- Adolphe Alexandre Chaillet, inventor of the Centennial Light (1867–1914)
- Adolphe Crémieux, French-Jewish lawyer and statesman (1796–1880)
- Adolphe Goldschmidt, German-Jewish co-inheritor of the Goldschmidt family bank (1838–1918)
- Adolphe Guillaumat, French Army general during World War I (1863–1940)
- Adolphe Hug, Swiss footballer (1923–2006)
- Adolphe Max, Belgian politician and mayor of Brussels (1869–1939)
- Adolphe Menjou, American actor and anti-Communist activist (1890–1963)
- Adolphe Nourrit, French opera singer (1802–1839)
- Adolphe Sax, Belgian musician and inventor of the saxophone (1814–1894)
- Adolphe Teikeu, Cameroonian footballer (1990–)
- Adolphe Thiers, French Prime Minister, President, and historian (1797–1877)
- Adolphe Tohoua, Ivorian footballer (1983–)
- Adolphe Léon Willette, French painter and architect of the Moulin Rouge (1857–1926)
Adolphus[]
- Adolphus Anthony "Doc" Cheatham, American jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader (1905–1997)
- Adolphus Busch, American businessman and co-founder of Anheuser-Busch (1839–1913)
- Adolphus Jean Sweet, American actor (1920–1985)
- Adolphus L. Fitzgerald, Justice of the Supreme Court of Nevada (1840–1921)
- Adolphus W. Green, American businessman and founder of Nabisco (1844–1917)
- Adolphus Grimes, American baseball player (1913–1998)
- Adolphus Jones, Kittian and Nevisian track and field athlete and footballer (1984–)
- Adolphus Warburton Moore (A. W. Moore), British civil servant and mountaineer (1841–1887)
- Adolphus Ofodile, Nigerian footballer (1979–)
- Adolphus Busch Orthwein (1917–2013), American heir and business executive and formerly missing person
- Adolphus Washington, American football player (1994–)
People with the surname Adolf or Adolphus[]
- Helen Adolf, Austrian–American linguist and literature scholar (1895–1998)
- John Adolphus, English historian (1768–1845)
- John Leycester Adolphus, English lawyer, jurist and author (1795–1862)
Fictional characters[]
- Adolphus, a character in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
- Adolphus, a character in The Adventures of Huck Finn
- Adolphus Cusins, a character in Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw
- Adolphus Tips, the eponymous cat of The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips by Michael Morpurgo
- Dolph Starbeam, a character in the animated sitcom The Simpsons
- Dolph, an antagonist on the animated series Alfred Jodocus Kwak
- Adolf Kamil and Adolf Kaufmann, title characters of the manga Adolf by Osamu Tezuka
- Saint Adolphus, a character in Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth
- Adolf Verloc, a character in Joseph Conrad’s The Secret Agent
- Adolf K. Weismann, also known as Yashiro Isana, is the main protagonist in the anime series K
- Adolf Wolf, a character in Blitz Wolf
- Adolphe Pescarolo, principal of Shuchiin Academy in Kaguya-sama: Love Is War
- Adolf, one of the main villains in Armour of God II: Operation Condor
See also[]
- Æthelwulf (disambiguation)
- Athaulf
- Adolff
- Adolphine, the female equivalent of the name Adolf
- Dolf (disambiguation)
- Dolph (disambiguation)
- Ludolph
- Rudolph
- Adolfas
- Ādolfs
- Udolphus
References[]
- ^ "Name Adolf statistics and meaning / Vorname Adolf * Statistik und Bedeutung". Retrieved 4 June 2012.
- ^ "Einer war sogar beliebter als Adolf: Wie die Nazis die Namen ihrer Kinder auswählten". Focus (in German). 2018-11-23.
- ^ "History". Archived from the original on 2015-02-08. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
- ^ "Adolf? Im Ernst?". Der Spiegel (in German). 2017-06-22.
- ^ "Adolfo - Baby Boy Name Meaning and Origin | Oh Baby! Names". www.ohbabynames.com. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
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