The name Adele was the eighth most popular name for Jewish girls born in Israel in 2012, according to a report by the Central Bureau for Statistics. The report was released to commemorate the International Day of the Child on Nov. 20. The report found that more than 850 girls born in 2012 were named Adele, possibly inspired by the British pop sensation Adele, known for hits such as "Rolling in the Deep," "Someone Like You," "Rumor Has It," "Set Fire to the Rain" and "Skyfall." This is a significant jump from 2011, when fewer than 300 girls were given that name, and from 2010, when only 150 girls received the name. Adele is an old French-German name meaning "noble," but is also a Hebrew name meaning "God is eternal." The name is part of a long-term Israeli trend to give children international sounding names: Ella, Anna, Romy, Adam, Alex and Tom are popular among celebrities and in chic neighborhoods with a large secular population. This is a countertrend to the early days of the state, when new immigrants would immediately exchange their foreign names for Hebrew ones. The top Israeli girl's name for the past 14 years has been the biblical name Noa (not, as is commonly believed, a female version of the name Noah, but a daughter of Zelophehad), followed by Shira, Tamar, Talia and Maya. The list of boy's names has seen an upset with the name Noam ousting Itai from first place. The biblical name Itai was the most popular boy's name in 2011. The second most popular boy's name for 2012 was Uri, followed by Itai, Yosef and David. Shai and Molly Shertzer of Oranit, parents of three children, decided to name their youngest daughter Adele in 2009. They say the inspiration came from a grandmother named Adela, who died 12 years ago. "I wasn't sure about the name because naming a child after a dead grandmother seemed strange to me," Molly said. "Aside from the singer Adele, whom I really liked, I didn't know any girls with the name. ... After a while I got used to the name and liked it."
Rumor has it: Adele stars among Israeli girls' names
Adele becomes the eighth most popular name for Jewish girls in Israel • The most popular girl's name is still Noa • For boys, Noam has displaced Itai as parents' favorite • Despite internationalizing trend, Hebrew names still popular.
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