Adele comes from old German roots meaning “nobility,” and it’s often seen as a short form of names like Adelaide. While it isn’t a Hebrew name, some have interpreted it as an acronym for a phrase from the Torah — esh dat lamo, “a fiery law unto them,” — which appears in Deuteronomy to describe divine light. Later rabbinic teachings connect that image to the giving of the Torah itself. It’s a name that carries both European charm and a spark of Jewish learning.
