Addie

Meaning of Addie

Addie began as the brisk nickname for a cluster of longer titles—chiefly the Germanic Adelaide and Adeline, whose element adal means “noble,” and, by an Anglo‐American accident of surnames, the more down-to-earth Addison, “son of Adam.” By the late-19th century the diminutive had filed for independent status, appearing on U.S. birth ledgers in 1880 and maintaining a quiet mid-list presence ever since. The data show no dramatic spikes, yet an unbroken run of use hints at a name that, much like a reliable neighbor, never quite leaves the block. Literary circles meet it in Faulkner’s formidable Addie Bundren; a younger set may remember the sunnier Addie Singer from early-2000s television. Phonetically, the two-beat AD-ee is crisp, unobtrusive, and pleasantly symmetrical, allowing it to mingle with both vintage staples and modern surnames. For parents seeking an easygoing carrier of the “noble” meaning—seasoned with just a touch of sepia—Addie fits the brief without fuss.