You know her as the woman who can make an entire stadium weep with just a piano and a microphone. She’s the mononymous queen of heartbreak, right up there with Cher, Madonna, and Beyoncé. But here is the thing: "Adele" isn't a stage name invented in a record label boardroom. It’s her actual first name.
Most people don't realize that the real name of adele is actually Adele Laurie Blue Adkins.
It’s a mouthful. Honestly, if you were trying to fit all of that onto an album cover next to a dramatic black-and-white close-up of your face, you’d probably trim it down too. But there is a lot of history—and some pretty deep family roots—packed into those four names that she usually leaves off the charts.
The Story Behind the Adkins Surname
Let’s talk about the last name first. Adkins. If you look at her early life, the choice to use just "Adele" wasn't necessarily about being "diva-enough" for a single name. It was more about the reality of her upbringing.
Adele was born in Tottenham, London, to Penny Adkins and Mark Evans. Her dad, Mark, wasn't really in the picture for long. He left when she was just two years old. Because of that, she was raised almost entirely by her mom, Penny. Using the surname Adkins is a direct nod to the woman who worked multiple jobs to support her daughter’s obsession with the Spice Girls and Etta James.
The estrangement from her father was pretty public and, frankly, quite messy. Mark Evans occasionally popped up in the tabloids over the years, which only seemed to widen the rift. By the time she was a global superstar, the "Evans" part of her lineage was essentially a footnote. She is an Adkins through and through, even if the rest of the world just calls her Adele.
What’s With the Middle Names?
The "Laurie Blue" part is where it gets interesting.
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Middle names are usually just filler, but these two have some character. "Laurie" is actually a tribute to her father’s side of the family—specifically his father, her grandfather. Despite the friction with her own dad, she kept that connection to her Welsh roots in her legal name.
Then there’s "Blue."
No, it’s not a tribute to Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy (Adele was born in 1988, way before Blue Ivy was a thing). According to family accounts, it was actually her father’s favorite color. It’s a bit ironic, isn't it? The singer who basically owns the "blues" genre for the modern era has the word literally etched into her birth certificate.
Why She Dropped the Last Names Professionally
Why do some stars keep their full names and others don't? Think about "Adele Adkins." It’s got a bit of an alliterative ring to it, sure. But it sounds more like a girl you’d go to school with or a librarian than a global icon.
When she was starting out at the BRIT School—the same place that churned out Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis—she was just Adele. Her friend posted her three-song demo on MySpace (remember that?), and the name just stuck. It felt intimate. Like you were on a first-name basis with her.
There’s also the Emeli Sandé factor. Did you know Emeli Sandé’s real first name is also Adele? She actually had to use her middle name, Emeli, because Adele Adkins had already claimed the "Adele" spot in the industry. It’s a good thing too, because having two "Adeles" at the top of the UK charts at the same time would have been a nightmare for Spotify algorithms.
The Meaning of "Adele" Itself
The name itself isn't just a random choice by her parents. It has deep Germanic roots. It comes from the word adal, which basically translates to "noble" or "nobility."
It’s kind of perfect.
She has this weirdly grounded, "one of the girls" personality where she cackles at her own jokes and talks about her spanx, but as soon as she starts singing, that "nobility" kicks in. It’s a regal name for a woman who has broken almost every record in the music industry.
Common Misconceptions About Her Identity
People often think she changed her name to sound more sophisticated.
That’s a myth.
She didn't pull a Lady Gaga (Stefani Germanotta) or a Lana Del Rey (Elizabeth Grant). She didn't even go the route of Katy Perry (who was born Katy Hudson but changed it to avoid confusion with Kate Hudson).
The real name of adele is simply the name she was born with, just shortened for the sake of branding and, perhaps, a bit of privacy. Keeping "Adkins" off the posters allows her a tiny bit of separation between the woman who lives in Los Angeles and the "Adele" who sells 30 million copies of an album.
Actionable Takeaway: Digging Into the History
If you're a fan or just curious about the history of celebrity branding, here is what you should keep in mind about how names work in the industry:
- Mononyms aren't always manufactured. Sometimes a name is just strong enough to stand on its own.
- Family history dictates the "why." Adele’s choice to keep Adkins legally but drop it professionally reflects her bond with her mother.
- Check the birth certificate. If you're looking into a celebrity's "real name," look for the middle names—that’s usually where the real family tributes (like Laurie and Blue) are hidden.
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins might be a mouthful, but it represents the mix of Welsh heritage, London grit, and a very dedicated mother that created the voice we know today. Next time "Hello" comes on the radio, you'll know exactly who you're listening to—beyond just the first name.