Adelaide

Adelaide unfurls like a letter in elegant handwriting. From the Old Germanic Adalheidis — adal, "noble," and heid, "kind" or "sort" — the name belonged to the tenth-century Holy Roman empress Saint Adelaide and later to the Australian city named for Queen Adelaide, consort of William IV. After a century-long rest, the name returned to the US top 1000 in 2005 and has climbed vigorously to 271, right behind Adeline and Adalynn in the great Ada revival. Four graceful syllables, a soft D, the long open diphthong close. Regal without being remote, vintage without smelling of mothballs. A name with posture.