Delilah

Meaning & origin●

Attested across 8 languages in the etymology graph.

Languages●

Language is read off each record's context, not declared by the bearer; a share is of all records for this spelling.

Other names spelled this way◐

Delilah is also recorded as another name, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• Indonesian given name1.5K records spelled Delilah3 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United States, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia

  Languages: Indonesian, Malay

  Also written Ďelilah

57 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●

Delilah is also recorded in 5 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• A name of Hebrew origin meaning 'delicate' or 'night'; despite its strong biblical association with betrayal, it has become a popular modern name appreciated for its melodic sound.

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

• In Jewish and Christian tradition, Delilah serves as a cautionary archetype of the treacherous woman and the dangers of compromising one's spiritual vows for worldly affection or material gain. She is often contrasted with virtuous biblical women and is cited by early church fathers as a warning against intermarriage with pagans and the spiritual peril of lust.

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

• In English, Hebrew; the lover of Samson in the Bible

  as a name·Baby names, 25,350 baby names nicknames for your family, friends pets, including the top 100 names, 2,000 most popular…

• In English, The mistress of Samson who betrayed him to the Philistines.

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

• In English, Biblical name

  as a name·Pronouncing Dictionary of Proper Names

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Over time●

US SSA — National Baby Names (1880–present) — 146 years between 1880–2025. One register's own figures, never a sum across registers: two registers counting the same people would double them.

Notable people with this name●

• Delilah L. Beasleyb. 1871USAmerican historian (1871-1934)
• Pilar Pilapilb. 1950PHnot in their usual nameFilipino actress and model (born 1950)
• Delilah Montoyab. 1955USAmerican photographer (born 1955)
• Delilah Freddy Puruntatamerib. 1968AUAustralian indigenous artist and printmaker (born 1968)
• Delilah Cottob. 1970USAmerican actress, dancer, model
• Delilah S. Dawsonb. 1977USAmerican author
• Delilah DiCrescenzob. 1983USAmerican distance runner
• Delilah Hollidayb. 1996GBBritish singer, songwriter and guitarist
• Delilah Dayb. 1998USAmerican pornographic actress
• Delilah Rose PellowUSAmerican actress

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

Evidence●

Register rows as of the 2026-09-12 data build · 424 rows in the corpus for this spelling.

Frequently asked questions

How common is the name Delilah?

We estimate roughly 34 thousand people bear Delilah (counting its spellings and scripts) across 10 countries in our records.

In which country does Delilah have the most bearers?

We estimate about 34 thousand people bear Delilah in the United States, more than in any other country in our records, where it is most often spelled delilah.

Where is Delilah most common?

Delilah is densest in the United States, where the national register counts about 1 in 9.9 thousand people carrying it.

Is Delilah a male or female name?

Delilah is a female name in our records. Opposite-gender entries fall within the cross-gender noise we measure in the source data, so we don't report them as usage.

What does the name Delilah mean?

Recorded meaning: The name is commonly derived from the Hebrew root 'dalal' (דָּלַל), meaning 'to hang down', 'be low', or 'languish', suggesting meanings such as 'Delicate', 'Dainty', or 'Weak'.