Adolf

Imagem: Jared Enos · BY-NC-ND · Openverse

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Adolf was a popular name for baby boys in German-speaking countries and to a lesser extent also in French-speaking countries (spelled there as Adolphe). After Adolf Hitler came to power in Nazi Germany, the name Adolf became popular again, especially in 1933–1934 and 1937. Due to negative associations with Hitler, the name has declined in popularity as a given name for males since the 1940s. Adolf Dassler (1900-1978), the founder of Adidas, used his nickname, 'Adi', in his professional life and for the name of his company. After 1945, a few German people have been named Adolf due to family traditions. Similarly, the French version, Adolphe—previously a fairly common name in France and the name of a classic French novel—has virtually disappeared, along with the Italian version Adolfo. However, the Spanish and Portuguese version, Adolfo, has not become stigmatised in the same way and is still in common use in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries.