 King Adolf of Germany | |
| Pronunciation | German pronunciation: [ˈaːdɔlf] |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Language(s) | German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, 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 |
Adolf (also spelt Adolph or Adolphe, Adolfo, and when Latinised Adolphus) is a given name with German origins.
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).
Due to its extremely negative associations with the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, the name has greatly declined in popularity since the end of World War II.
Similar names include Lithuanian Adolfas and Latvian Ādolfs. The female forms Adolphine and Adolpha are far more rare than the male names. Adolphus can also appear as a surname, as in John Adolphus, the English historian.