Hi Swistle,
I am a long-term reader, and love thinking about names. Now I am not pregnant, and we are not trying either, but I do love thinking about names and playing with possible combinations. And lately I have been thinking about possible honor names.
Luckily, there are a ton of great names in both of our families to choose from. However, the one person I would really really like to honor is my grandfather, who passed away last year. We were very close, and he was a great man throughout his life. If there was anyone in my family I would really like to honor it would be him. But, unfortunately, he was born in Germany in the 1920s and was named Adolf.
I don’t think the name Adolf is still usable, not even as a middle name. It conveys a certain message, and certainly not one a child of German heritage should have, even though I objectively like the sound of it. Sadly my grandfather didn’t have a middle name, and his last name is a very long German word that is very much unpronounceable and can in no way be used as a first name. He did have a nickname – Adel (pronounced like Uh-dl). Do you think this nickname might potentially be usable, or would this defeat the purpose of an honor name? Other versions would be using something that sounds similar, like Adam (starts with Ad) or Adelia or Delphi for a girl, but these all just seem to be a little far fetched.
Let me know what you think? I would love to honor him, but I do not want to burden any future children.
Ann
Generally you will find me on the conservative end of the spectrum for honor names: really I like the name to be the same as the honoree’s name, and I find all other options significantly less honory, sometimes to the point of not feeling honory at all. However, in the case of the name Adolf, I am absolutely on board with not using the name.
The question now is: How far can we go from the honor name and still feel as if it’s an honor? People are all over the spectrum on this one. At my end of the spectrum, I have a hard time seeing the honor of a shared first initial or shared meaning; but at the other end of the spectrum are parents who use the name Sophia Rose and because they love how it successfully honors all four grandparents at once: Ronald, Ruth, Phil, and Sandra.
I think I would shoot for two goals: first and foremost, for the name to make you think affectionately of your grandfather; second, for the naming story to make sense. Naming stories don’t HAVE to make sense, of course: there’s no review board, and you don’t have to share the naming story with anyone. But I find it useful for testing if, in our efforts to make something work, we have strayed outside the bounds of reason. It’s very easy to make a first jump, and then take a second jump from that landing place, and end up with something that can be connected only with a trail of breadcrumbs.
My favorite in this case would be to use the name Alfred. I think the name is adorable and ready for a serious comeback, and to me it feels similar enough to Adolf that I looked it up in The Oxford Dictionary of First Names to see if they might have come from similar sources. (No.)
For a girl, I think of names such as Agatha, Delphine, Daphne, Adelaide; nothing clicks quite well enough, but there’s a slight tie.
I do think “We wanted to honor my grandfather, but his name is Adolf, so…we just had to do the best we could!” works very well, explanation-wise.
I am not seeing much potential in the nickname pronounced Uhdl. The name Abel LOOKS like Adel, which seemed like a promising path at first, but now I am starting to feel as if the naming story is slipping: a name that looks like (leap #2) a nickname (leap #1). But does the sight of the name Abel make you immediately think of your grandfather? Then I think this option has potential.
Another possible path: according to The Oxford Dictionary of First Names, Adolf means “noble wolf.” Wolf would make a fairly rad middle name, and has the additional advantage of sharing the -olf of Adolf.
We could continue with this idea by looking for more names that mean “noble” and/or “wolf.” Baby Names Made Easy: The Complete Reverse-Dictionary of Baby Names has these possibilities:
Ada: “noble”—from the same Germanic Ad- of Adolf
Adelaide: “noble and kind”—shares the same Germanic Ad- of Adolf, and adds kindness
Adele: “noble”—but the singer Adele is a strong association
Adeline: “noble”
Adler: “noble eagle”—excellent symbolism reboot, plus shares the Germanic Ad-
Albert: “noble, bright”
Alice: “noble, kind”
Alphonse: “noble, battle-ready”
Arwen: “noble maiden”
Audrey: “noble strength”
Cannon: “wolf cub”—awww, baby wolf
Conan: “wolf”
Della: “noble”
Ethel: “noble”
Gandolf: “wolf’s progress”—good symbolism reboot, shares -dolf, but strong Gandalf assoc.
Grady: “noble”
Heidi: “noble, kind”
Lowell: “wolf cub”—but sounds like when my kids say “LOL” as a word
Noble: the word itself is a possibility
Oberon: “noble bear”
Owen: “highborn, noble”—the “highborn” puts the wrong spin on “noble,” it seems to me
Phelan: “wolf”
Rafe: “wolf counsel”
Ralph: “wolf counsel”
Randall: “wolf’s shield”
Randolph/Randolf: “wolf’s shield”—and shares -dolf
Rudolph: “famous wolf”—famous reindeer, too
Shaw: “wolf”
Tala: “wolf”
Whelan: “wolf”
Zeva: “wolf”
Because one person’s huge reach is another person’s intuitive leap, I’ve included even the options where my own feeling is that the connection is getting pretty slim. For one thing, you might have information that gives the name an additional connection, such as if Rafe were the name of your grandfather’s dad, or if Whelan were the name of the town where he grew up, or if Randall were your maiden name.
And this brings me to another source of honor names I do not generally reach for, but many people do: names of things connected to your grandfather, such as the names of towns he lived in, schools he attended, professions, hobbies, siblings, favorite flowers/colors/foods, other names in his family tree, whatever. Or you could look for German names in general.
Or there’s the idea of sharing multiple initials. If your grandfather’s surname started with K., for example, you could make it your goal to find first/middle names with the initials A.K.
And finally, there is the idea of abandoning the whole thing. It is fairly common for parents to really want to honor a beloved person, and yet be unable to make it work. I always feel sad when that happens, because I love honor names—but sometimes it turns out to be an unsolvable equation.
As always, Swistle has laid out the options brilliantly. I love the Wolf idea, especially since it actually sounds a little bit like Adolf.
If you don’t go for that, then (not that anyone gets a vote, but) I vote for either honoring a different relative, or abandoning the honor name track altogether. If I knew you and your child, my sentimental interest would be satisfied just by knowing you tried. I would understand that to mean that you loved your grandfather and would have liked to make this work, and I would give that the inner smile it deserved, and that reaction would be approximately the same as the one I’d give, once, if you actually DID name your son after your grandfather. I.e., I don’t think I’d be thinking of the late Grandpa on little Namesake’s high school graduation day; I’d be thinking of little Namesake and all the great things he’d accomplished over 18ish years.
Also, I am one of those people who suppresses a major inner eye roll whenever I hear any explanation of an honor name that is more complicated than “This is XYZ, named after XYZ,” where XYZ is the same thing both times. Excluding established traditions (like the reuse of initials in some Jewish families), it always sounds very contrived to me. Most of us are not required to use honor names at all, so it’s perfectly acceptable not to. My reaction when I hear “This is Sophia Rose, named for her grandparents Ronald/Ruth/Phil/Sandra, oh-and-by-the-way-we-love-the-currently-trending-name-Sophia,” is, “Okay, you named your daughter Sophia because you liked the name” + slight irritated recoil by the attempt to pass it off as an honor name.
I agree with your conclusion that you obviously cannot name your future son or daughter Adolf/Adolfa. (I couldn’t reach a decision about whether I thought Dolph, like Dolph Lundgren, might be okay, but I think not.) I think that means you did your best and that it’s time to move on to the vast universe of other possibilities!
I think Adel makes a fine middle name. I think the pronunciation of it puts me off it for a first name. I like the “wolf” meaning names for the most part and if I loved one the names would go with it.
It’s not like you need to share the naming story with anyone other than your child, maybe your extended family if you wanted. So even if it’s a stretch they’ll appreciate that you couldn’t use Adolf.
This is exactly what I was going to say! If you find a name or a form that you like and that in your eyes honors your grandfather then don’t worry about how others will perceive it, they don’t even have to know! All it really has to do is make you smile and think of him.
I’m in LOVE with the name Alfred. Absolutely love it. And it reminds me of that smoking hot actor Aiden Quinn, who played Legends of the Fall character Alfred. I think Adolph is clearly off the table, and I like the idea of the first initial, harkening the Jewish tradition. It’s not binding you to anything but 1 letter. While normally not very honory, it might be the best way to satisfy your honor to your grandfather.
I’m Jewish, and Jewish people often name their baby in honor of someone by just using their first initial. To me is seems completely normal to use any name that starts with A as an honor name for your grandfather. For example, my name is Michelle and I was named in honor of my great-grandfather Maurice. So many of my friends and family members were named in honor of someone by just using the first initial. I’m always surprised when people say that only using the first initial doesn’t seem like a strong connection.
I commented right after you, but I agree! No one bats an eye when asking “Who are you named after?” and Sarah, for instance, replies she is named after her great-uncle Samuel! It’s a cultural norm or at least something that is commonly practiced, which is not seemingly shared with the majority culture in the US. :)
I see another commenter pointing out established traditions like the Jewish tradition of using initials to honor relatives and NOT their name. To me, coming from that viewpoint (my partner and I will be raising Jewish children who will share initials with deceased relatives we wish to honor), sharing the same initial is a very valid option, and not only in cases where the honoree’s name is unusable.
All that being said, I think Swistle’s suggestion of Alfred is AMAZING. I have been watching a lot of historical/period dramas and names like Alfred and Frederick have been catching my ear. I like Adel as a middle name as another option. Good luck!
I love the idea of Adel or Wolf as a middle, or a girls’ name that includes Adel-. You could even name a girl Ada Wolf: noble wolf, captures it all, strongly connected, not at all Adolf. Alfred Wolf is also a lovely name.
Hhhm, I think this is a nice idea but the effect is a little too close to Adolph for my comfort. Kind of like the names you sometimes see if the news.
I think given his nickname Adel, Adele is a perfectly lovely tribute and honor name for your grandfather. People will certainly think of the singer, but that’s not a negative (in my mind) and if someone is like, OH like Adele, you can be like, “actually like ‘Adel’, my grandfather’s nickname.” Also, you could consider giving your child two first initials that correspond to your grandfather’s initials.
As for boy names that might honor an Adolf, I like going along with the meaning over the feel of the name. Good luck!
I really like the idea of picking one name that means noble, one that means wolf, and building a name to mean “noble wolf” such as Grady Shaw or Heidi Zeva for example. Of all the names listed, I really like Adler the most in order to honor an Adolf. Adler is German, sounds similar and start with the same letter, and its meaning of noble eagle is just as fierce and awesome as noble wolf. Adler Wolf would be an awesome namesake. For girls, I really like any of the A names listed in order to honor an Adolf, especially Adelaide and Audrey. Audrey Wolf is pretty fierce :) Heidi is a good pick too because its German and also means noble
My top picks for you: Adler Wolf and Audrey/Adalaide Zeva
I like Adler in a vacuum, but somehow I’m having a hard time not seeing it as an amalgam of “ADolf hitLER,” which undermines the reason for using it instead of Adolf. Just something about the idea of explaining, “His name is Adler, for his grandfather Adolf,” seems to double down on the Hitler association instead of getting rid of it.
Harpo Marx’s birth name was Adolph, but he changed it to Arthur. Might that be an appealing option for you?
I think it comes down to who the “honoring” is meant for. My son has his great grandfather’s name (it is a very usable name) and I did it for me and my son. My grandfather had long since passed when my son was born and my mother would have been equally happy with other names. Strangers opinions on “honor” names didn’t matter. So I used the honor name for me and my son. I was close to my grandfather and wanted to think about him when using my son’s name. I wanted my son’s naming story to involve my grandfather and what made him a great man.
From your letter, it sounds like your motivation is similar to mine. Your grandfather is not around to be flattered or pleased by the honor. Other family members undoubtedly have no expectation that you will name a child Adolph. This is for you and your child. So the question becomes “what name can you give a child that will immediately bring to mind your grandfather and provide an opening when telling your child the naming story about his great grandfather.”
Use of the same first initial may do that if, when you think of the name Alfred or Adele, it immediately brings to mind Grandpa Adolph. It probably wouldn’t have worked for me as I don’t associate other “J” names with my grandfathers name. Wolf could be a good option if it makes you think of Adolph. Again, I don’t associate my grandfather with meaning of his name so using the meaning wouldn’t have brought him to mind.
But there are so many things I do associate my grandfather with and that is where I would have started looking. For example, he lived in town called Victor so when I hear the name Victor, I immediately think of my grandfather. Grandpa loved gardening and used to complain about how much clay was in the soul so I think of him when I hear the names Gardener and Clay. Grandpa had a dog named Pierre when I was little so that name always brings him to mind.
If I were to honor my Dad without using his actual name (David), I might consider the names Jay, Franklin, or Clancy because those are all names I associate with my Dad (he was an avid baseball fan and his favorite team was the Blue Jays, he was a great admirer of Franklin Roosevelt, and his favorite author was Tom Clancy).
This. I would think of the street he lived on, his favorite color, the brand of sardines he liked, a favorite baseball player of his etc to get the emotional association as a private happiness to share with a future child
I love the idea of using Wolf in some way! I think it’s an inspired choice. I think a lot of the names that Swistle came up with would work well, if they work for you (in making you think of your grandfather.) Good luck in the future!
I think an A name, or a means-Noble-or-Wolf name, or using a name that would have had some sentimental value for him (favorite place, etc) are all good options.
I would keep it simple and use Adel as a middle name for either boy or girl. It’s not a big deal if a middle name isn’t immediately recognized or able to be pronounced. My middle name is my maiden name- a long, Slavic cumbersome name… but in daily life, to everyone except me, it’s a middle initial “J”.
The Wikipedia page for Adolf says it’s a form of the Old High German Athalwolf, which is pretty rad for a middle name. I think Adel for a middle name is also just fine, regardless of how it’s pronounced — plenty of people have unusual middle names, and saying, “It was my grandfather’s name” makes it unimpeachable (I would make sure that the first name was unmistakably masculine if you use Adel, though). I was going to say Dolph seems removed enough from Adolf to be safe as a middle, but when it’s spoken aloud, people might mishear it for Adolf. I love the comment about finding a name or nameish word that reminds you of your grandfather, which could get you a nice first name.
For a girl, Adele or Ada or Adelaide all seem like very strong contenders — as close to Adolf as you could get for girl anyway, regardless of the connotations of Adolf.
I’d like to throw my support behind Adel! If that was something your grandfather went by it meets the honor criteria, it’s interesting and different but not too “out there.” I genuinely think you could use it first or middle, girl or boy.
I like the suggestions that Swistle has laid out! I’ve sat here thinking for a few minutes about the name Rudolph or Rudolf- I think either spelling could bring to mind the name Adolph without being too close but I might be hesitant to use it because of the even stronger connection to Christmas and that reindeer. Another name I want to suggest is Rolf (like the messenger-turned-Nazi boyfriend in Sound of Music)- depending on your last name this could also be similar enough to Adolph to work as an honor name and is the short form of Rudolph.
Good luck when it comes time to choose!
So far I mimic everyone’s suggestions and I really like the poster who mentioned that you really need to decide what names will make you think of your Grandfather. One thing I wanted to challenge you on was taking his last name and seeing you could form any names from it since you said it’s not pronounceable and long. I certainly think Adele is appropriate if you have a girl. I can’t come up with a boy name from Adolf.
I have the same problem with having a grandfather named Adolf. My future son’s middle name will be Wolfgang.
To me, honoring a deceased relative is all about keeping their memory alive. Whatever name helps you keep the memory of your grandfather alive in your child would be the name I would vote for. I imagine that you eventually want to be able to tell your son or daughter stories about your grandfather, who he was and how important he was to you. As long as the name you choose reminds you of your grandfather and opens up that conversation to the next generation, I think it has done its job to honor him.
Swistle outlined all of the options really well. I wanted to add one more name to the mix. Alfie.
To me an honor name is a name you pick to remind you of that person. It is a name picked to connect your child with someone important to you. I don’t care what the name is ,( if it is exactly the same, slightly different, starts with the same initial or something connecting outside of a name, ) if you choose that name for your child with the idea and intention to honor someone else then I think it’s an honour name and very special. It doesn’t matter if no one else gets it or even if they can’t make the connection, I feel like it’s for the parents to feel a bond or remembrance of someone special. I also believe when you share that connection with your child as they grow up you pass down history and family roots to a child. There is a story or a legacy left in their name connecting them to the past. I know every name has a story which is so cool but what I love about honor names is that they have a story and a connection to the past.
I know a college-aged young man named Adley, who is named for his grandfather Adolf (who goes only jiby Ad).
*only by
Alfie is a great nickname for Alfred, and I know a toddler by that name. I think it is quite popular in England but so far hasn’t become trendy in North America yet. My second son’s first name is Wolf, an honour/place name after Wolf Lake, where we were married. He goes exclusively by Wolfie, which is a traditional NN for Wolf/Wolfgang. I think Wolf/Wolfgang/Alfred ( Alfie ) and Ada for a girl all make great first name choices!
I actually do know someone who used the name Adolfo (grandfather’s first name) as a middle name. On the heels of an Italian first name, it doesn’t seem to have occasioned much comment.
I went to school with a guy who went by Wolf the entire time I knew him (peers, parents, teachers all called him that) – I didn’t learn his given name was Adolf until our senior graduation (for reference, I’m in my early 30s). He was definitely a “Wolf” – the name just worked for him and I never even questioned that it could ever be a nickname. Not my typical style, but I think it’s a great name and works in real life.
I think Adel has great promise (it means nobility in German, for what it’s worth). For example, naming a daughter Adele or Adelaide or Adeline (or to go more aggressively German, Adelheid, the original long form for Heidi) would really work for me in honoring someone who went by Adel.
Otherwise, I think the Wolf names are a fun area. Wolfgang is a very German option, also Wolfram or just Wolf. I’m intending to use Wolf as a nickname for a child on the way (formal name will be Wilfred).
I think a name like Rudolph or Rudolf retains the second syllable (and the German origin), while having strong associations entirely different in nature. We thought about it as a middle name, though I think perhaps the reindeer associations are too strong for a first name, still. Without that issue, perhaps Randolph?
I think Delphine or Delfina would also keep the prominent D*lf sound in a way that preserves a lot of the name, while having totally different associations, and I think they’re lovely names.
Another idea: Alf, as a contraction.
I think Noble would be pretty cool as a middle or even a first.
I’m agreeing with everyone here. I think the best plans are:
1. Ada or Adele for a girl. To me, these would be the feminine variants of Adolf, and a natural way to honor your grandpa. Plus lately I’ve been majorly loving Ada, which is a darling spin-off of the too-common Ava.
2. Alfred is really cute for a boy (or the German version, Alfried…Alfie is a very cute nickname.), but you decide whether or not that is too much of a stretch or reminds you of your grandpa at all.
3. Use Adel as a middle name, either gender. Nicknames are the perfect place for honor names…especially ones that are perhaps not ideal. Meaningful for the family, but without burdening your child in any way.
4. Use another name that reminds you of your grandpa. I’ve thought of this before…kind of a game to see what I come up with for people. My dad, for instance, is a die-hard stones fan, so Mick or Jagger would definitely remind me of him. He also loves Mark Twain and made us read Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer as kids, so all those names would work for me. Or his hometown, which is a usable first name. Or he is a history buff, with special interests in Lincoln and Jefferson, so Abraham, Lincoln, Thomas, etc., would all fit. Etc., etc. As long as YOU feel that it is significant and meaningful, then the honor name has served its purpose!
My favorite option is to use Adel as the middle name for a boy, or Ada/Adele for a girl’s name. I definitely think nicknames count as honors–one could certainly name a girl Kate for a Katherine-sometimes-Kate! In your situation, it’s the perfect solution.
Middle names are the perfect place for a somewhat clunky-sounding honor, so don’t let the pronunciation of Adel bother you. I’m wasn’t nuts about the sound of the name Donald, but it’s my son’s middle because it honors two beloved men in my husband’s family… so we have come to adore it and think it sounds quite dignified after all. Go for it!
My philosophy is, you’ll never regret using an honor name, but you might regret NOT using one–and in your case, Adolf is not an option but Adel is the next best thing!
Agreed that you should not use Adolf. What about Rolf instead? Adel is a cute middle name option.
Have to mention my Dad’s name- Ulf! Means Wolf and is a Scandinavian name. I believe that any parents who name their child with love and thought and care are doing a great job. If you feel the person is honoured, if you think of them and consider them in the naming process, that is what matters. Best of luck in future!
There are a lot of really great suggestions here. I personally love your original thought of Adelia for a girl. I think if your grandfather actually went by his nickname often, you have to run with Adel. Either keep it simple like others have said and use Adel for the middle name for either gender, or maybe name a girl Adelia or Adele or something. If you want your family to notice the connection right away, I think you should definitely keep the “Adel” part spelled exactly that way though.
I am on the opposite end of the spectrum as Swistle- I think the honor is in the intent. I love the Jewish tradition of using the initial; it makes perfect sense to me.
I thought of Aidan, actually – the long A and the d echo Adolph for me. Along those lines, I would use Adel and pronounce it like Abel. I also really like Rolf and Rudolph. I’ve known German Rudy’s, so it seems appropriate. But Wolf would work, too.
It’s an interesting question, for sure. Hope we get an update.
I’m surprised that nobody has recommended Adolphus yet. I guess people might disagree, but to me Adolphus as a middle name doesn’t immediately bring to mind Hitler, but unambiguously would honor the grandfather and probably work well with a lot of first names the same way Augustus does.
Also, I kind of like how straightforward Adolphus is, as a way to keep it from feeling sinister. If you get too clever about “hiding” Adolf in the child’s name, it starts to feel like that scene in Harry Potter where Tom Riddle’s name rearranges into Lord Voldemort.
I immediately thought of Ansel…somewhat reminiscent and same Germanic origin
I’m in the names-associated-with camp… while I’m he oldest grandchild, I waited a while before having children. My grandfather’s first and middle names have been used as first and middle names of nephews and cousins. I wanted a name that referenced and honored my grandfather without repetition, and since he was born and died in the same month, it worked well for us to have an August. Here’s hoping you can find a similarly clean and meaningful option. I like Swistle’s “wolf” suggestion as well!
I would use Adel, but Americanize the pronunciation to make it like a d-equivalent of Abel. Pronunciation gets changed all the time when people cross languages, so I don’t see why you shouldn’t too. That way, it’s still recognizably a name your grandfather actually used regularly and (for me at least) it doesn’t immediately make me think Adolf.