Adolphe is a masculine given name of German origin, derived from the Germanic elements "adal" meaning "noble" and "wulf" meaning "wolf". The name was popularized by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte who gave it to his son with Empress Marie Louise of Austria in 1811. However, the child died shortly after birth and Napoleon never had another son to bear the name. Despite this, Adolphe continued to be used as a given name throughout Europe during the 19th century but has since fallen out of fashion. Today, it is considered somewhat outdated and is rarely used as a new given name.
Based on the statistics provided, we can observe the fluctuations of babies named Adolphe born each year in the United States from 1911 to 1959.
The name Adolphe peaked in popularity between 1915 and 1916 with a total of 47 births recorded during those two years. In 1915, there were 25 babies named Adolphe, while the following year saw a slight decrease with 22 births.
Interestingly, there was a significant drop in popularity after 1916, as seen by the subsequent years' totals: 16 births in 1917, 15 in 1918, and 8 in 1919. This trend of decline continued throughout the 1920s and 1930s, with annual birth counts ranging from a high of 18 in 1924 to as low as 5 in multiple years between 1929 and 1937.
Despite the overall decreasing trend, there were a few periods where the name Adolphe experienced minor revivals. For instance, during the early 1940s, there were 6 births recorded each year from 1941 to 1943. Additionally, in 1959, there was another small peak with 5 babies named Adolphe.
In total, between 1911 and 1959, there were 295 children born in the United States who were given the name Adolphe. Although the popularity of this name has fluctuated over time, it remains a distinctive choice for parents looking for an uncommon name with historical significance.