Given name & surname
Adolphus
“a noble, majestic wolf”
Adolphus is a variant of Adolph. One German interpretation is “a noble, majestic wolf.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Adolphus is a variant of Adolph. One German interpretation is “a noble, majestic wolf.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Adolphus is a variant of Adolph. An origin associated with Adolph is German. Adolphus is a Latinized form of Adolf. An origin associated with Adolf is Germanic.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
Adolphus is used as a form of Adolf.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Adolphus through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,109
- 4,109 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1922
- 85 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 2022. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 85 in 1922. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,517 as a first name in 2020; 407 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Adolphus’s family of names
In English usage, Adolphus shares an earlier linguistic root with Adolph. In Latin usage, Adolphus has a conventional equivalent in the German form Adolf. In English usage, Adolphus has a related form in Adolph.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Adolphus has relatives in 5 languages.
5 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Adolphus
- Prince Adolphus, Duke of CambridgeBritish and Hanoverian Royal (1774-1850), Duke of Cambridge from 1786
- John VernonCanadian actor (1932–2005)
- Adolphus Frederick IIfirst Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1658-1708)
- Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of CambridgeBritish Army general (1868-1927)
- Adolphus Frederick IIIDuke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1686-1752)
- Adolphus GreelyAmerican army officer and polar explorer (1844–1935)
- Adolphus Warburton MooreBritish climber (1841–1887)
- Adolphus WardBritish historian (1837-1924)
- Doc CheathamAmerican jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader (1905-1997)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Adolphus, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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