Adewale
A masculine Yoruba name meaning "the crown has arrived home".
Name Census estimates that about 200 living Americans carry the first name Adewale. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Adewale today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Adewale births was 1995 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Adewale. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
200
~ 1 in 1,713,772 Americans
Peak year
1995
12 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,960
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Adewale: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Adewale from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 54 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Adewale remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Adewale by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Adewale during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Adewale
Adewale is a given name of Yoruba origin from West Africa, particularly Nigeria. It is derived from the words "Ade," meaning "crown" or "royalty," and "wale," meaning "to come home" or "to arrive." Together, the name can be interpreted as "a crown has arrived" or "a crown has come home."
The name has been in use among the Yoruba people for centuries, with its roots tracing back to the ancient Kingdom of Oyo, which flourished from the 14th to the 19th century. During this time, the name was likely bestowed upon children of noble or royal lineage to signify their importance and connection to the ruling class.
While there are no specific references to the name Adewale in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is believed to have been in use during the reign of the powerful Oyo Empire, which dominated much of present-day southwestern Nigeria and parts of Benin and Togo.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Adewale was Adewale Ayotunde Ogunlesi, a Nigerian educator and writer who lived from 1923 to 2003. He was a prominent figure in the field of education and served as the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in Nigeria.
Another notable figure was Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, a British actor and former fashion model born in 1967. He is known for his roles in various films and television shows, including "Oz," "Lost," and "Game of Thrones."
Adewale Ologunore, born in 1972, is a Nigerian-American engineer and entrepreneur who co-founded the successful technology company, Ravelry.com, which serves as an online community for knitters and crocheters.
Adewale Ayuba, born in 1973, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter who has gained popularity for his unique blend of traditional Yoruba music with contemporary styles. He is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the "Fuji" genre in Nigerian music.
Adewale Ogunleye, born in 1977, is a former American football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for teams such as the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears between 2000 and 2010.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have carried the name Adewale, showcasing its long-standing cultural significance and enduring presence across various fields and regions.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Adewale
People
Adewale + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Adewale as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Adewale: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Adewale?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 200 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Adewale going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,713,772 US residents.
Is Adewale a common name?
We classify Adewale as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 205 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Adewale most popular?
The single biggest year for Adewale was 1995, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Adewale is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Adewale a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Adewale in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.