Delia

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Delia

Gender: Feminine
Language: English
Etymology:
Delia is:
1. From a Greek name meaning “Woman from the Island of Delos.”
-and-
2. Delia can be short for names Adelia, Bedelia, Cordelia, and Fidelia.

History:
In Ancient Greece (and Rome), Delia was a title of the goddess Artemis (or Diana) and the name is found in Roman poetry, such as the works of Albius Tibullus (55 B.C.-19 B.C.).

The name was revived in 1592, with a collection of sonnets entitled Delia by Samuel Daniel (1562-1619). It became common in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Delia has also been popular in Ireland, where the Irish took to it as a short form of Bedelia (which was being used as an alternative to the name Brigid).

Delia is was also quite popular in the 19th century United States, especially among Irish immigrants and African-Americans.

Pronunciation: dee-lee-ah.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.029 % named Delia

Popularity of Delia:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1850: 71st most popular.
1875: 101st most popular.
1900-1910: 251st most popular.
1910-1920: 367th most popular.
1920-1930: 342nd most popular.
1930-1940: 325th most popular.
1940-1950: 336th most popular.
1950-1960: 388th most popular.
1960-1970: 485th most popular.
1970-1980: 612th most popular.
1980-1990: 789th most popular.
1990: 779th most popular.
1991: 832nd most popular.
1992: 963rd most popular.
1993: 847th most popular.
1994: N/A
1995: 883rd most popular.
1996: 975th most popular.
1997: 870th most popular.
1998: 897th most popular.
1999: 883rd most popular.
2000: 969th most popular.
2001-2002: N/A
2003: 950th most popular.