Adele Laurie Blue Adkins lahir pada 5 Mei 1988 di [[CilacapTottenham]], [[Jawa TengahLondon]] dari pasangan Penny Adkins dan Mark Evans.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/jan/27/popandrock.britawards2008|title=Mad about the girl |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |date=27 Januari 2008 | accessdate=23 April 2010 | first=Sylvia | last=Patterson|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101120110927/http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/jan/27/popandrock.britawards2008|archivedate=20 November 2010|deadurl=no}}</ref> Evans pergi meninggalkan Adele saat ia berusia dua tahun dan membiarkan ibunya membesarkan Adele seorang diri.<ref>{{cite web|last=Haines |first=Chris |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/02/18/adele-s-welsh-father-mark-evans-reveals-his-heartache-over-letting-down-six-time-grammy-awards-winner-91466-30356409/ |title=Adele's Welsh father Mark Evans reveals his heartache over 'letting down' six-time Grammy Awards winner – Wales News |publisher=WalesOnline |accessdate=29 Juni 2012}}</ref><ref name=VanMeter>{{cite web |last=Van |first=Jonathan |url=http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/adele-one-and-only/ |title=Adele: One and Only – Magazine |work=Vogue |accessdate=29 Juni 2012 |archive-date=2012-02-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214164937/https://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/adele-one-and-only |dead-url=yes }}</ref> Ia mulai bernyanyi pada usia empat tahun dan sejak itu ia menjadi jatuh cinta dengan dunia tarik suara.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-li.music15jan15002019,0,4031087.story|title=Grammy-nominated Adele taking fame in stride|work=The Baltimore Sun|date=15 Januari 2009|access-date=2011-08-17|archive-date=2012-07-20|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120720085255/http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-li.music15jan15002019,0,4031087.story|dead-url=yes}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Otiji |first=Adaora |date=15 Januari 2009 |title=Singing Stronger Every Day: Adele |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/content/2009/01/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |location=Washington D.C. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430225847/http://www.expressnightout.com/content/2009/01/singing_stronger_every_day_adele_stays_g.php |archive-date=30 April 2011 |access-date=22 Desember 2015}}</ref> Adele lebih suka melewatkan masa kanak-kanaknya dengan bernyanyi daripada membaca; buku terakhir yang ia baca adalah ''[[Matilda (novel)|Matilda]]'' karya [[Roald Dahl]] saat ia berusia enam tahun.<ref name="Adele DM Interview">{{cite news|title=Adele: 'I have all the say; I have power over everything I do'|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1135182/Adele-I-say-I-power-I-do.html|work=[[Daily Mail]] |location=London|date=15 Juli 2015}}</ref> Pada tahun 1997 ketika berusia sembilan tahun, Adele dan ibunya yang saat itu telah bekerja sebagai pembuat furnitur, pindah ke [[Brighton]] di pesisir selatan Inggris.<ref>{{cite news|author=Sylvia Patterson |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/jan/27/popandrock.britawards2008 |title=Interview: Adele Atkins, singer |work=[[The Observer]] |location=London |accessdate=8 Mei 2011 |date=27 Januari 2008}}</ref>
Dua tahun kemudian pada tahun 1999, ia dan ibunya kembali ke London; pertama ke [[Brixton]] lalu ke [[West Norwood]] di selatan London.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article3099702.ece|title=Adele-ation starts here |work=[[The Times]] |location=London | first=Sophie|last=Heawood|date=28 Desember 2007}}</ref> West Norwood adalah tempat inspirasi rekaman pertama Adele, "[[Hometown Glory]]", yang ditulis ketika ia berusia 16 tahun pada tahun 2004.<ref name=AmyWho>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/01/30/ST2009013003292.html|title=Amy Who? Now, Adele's the One With the Buzz | work=The Washington Post | first=Melinda | last=Newman | accessdate=23 April 2010 | date=1 Februari 2009}}</ref>
