Delima
A variant spelling of the name Delilah derived from Hebrew meaning "delicate" or "languishing".
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Delima. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Delima today is around 82 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Delima births was 1917 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Delima. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Delima is about 82 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Delimas were born before 1954.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Delima. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1917
6 babies that year
Average age
82
years old
1947 SSA rank
#5,486
Tracked since 1889
Popularity
Delima: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Delima from the 1880s through to the 1940s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 11 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Delima remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Delima 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 Delima 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 Delima
The given name Delima is derived from the Latin word "delima," which means "vine shoot" or "tendril." This name has its origins in ancient Roman culture, where it was likely given to children born during the grape-harvesting season or in vineyards.
Delima was a relatively uncommon name in ancient times, but it did appear in some historical records and texts from the Roman era. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Delima Severina, a Roman noblewoman who lived in the 2nd century AD.
During the Middle Ages, the name Delima gained popularity in certain regions of Europe, particularly in areas with strong ties to the Roman Catholic Church. It was often given to children born on religious feast days associated with grapes or wine, such as the Feast of St. Vincent, the patron saint of winemakers.
One notable figure from this period was Delima of Arles, a French nun who lived in the 11th century and was known for her piety and charitable works. Another individual of historical significance was Delima de Lara, a Spanish noblewoman from the 13th century who played a crucial role in the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.
As the Renaissance period dawned, the name Delima became more widespread across Europe, particularly in Italy and Spain. During this time, it was often associated with artists and intellectuals who drew inspiration from classical Roman themes and motifs.
One prominent individual with this name was Delima Fontana, an Italian painter and engraver who lived from 1552 to 1607. She was renowned for her religious works and portraits, and her art can be found in various churches and museums throughout Italy.
In the 17th century, Delima Gonzalez de Mendoza was a Spanish nun and writer who authored several devotional texts and spiritual treatises. Her works were widely read and influential in her time.
As the name Delima spread to other parts of the world, it took on different cultural meanings and associations. In some regions, it was seen as a symbol of fertility and abundance, reflecting the vine's ability to bear fruit in abundance.
People
Delima + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Delima as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Delima: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Delima?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Delima 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 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Delima a common name?
We classify Delima as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 31 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Delima most popular?
The single biggest year for Delima was 1917, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Delima is about 82 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Delima in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Delima a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Delima in the SSA data are female. 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.
Is Delima still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Delima in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Delima can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Delima?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.