Dellena
A feminine name possibly derived from "dell" meaning small valley.
Name Census estimates that about 18 living Americans carry the first name Dellena. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Dellena today is around 56 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dellena births was 1978 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dellena. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dellena. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
18
~ 1 in 19,041,908 Americans
Peak year
1978
6 babies that year
Average age
56
years old
1978 SSA rank
#8,804
Tracked since 1960
Popularity
Dellena: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dellena from the 1960s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 11 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dellena 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 Dellena 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 Dellena
The name Dellena is believed to have originated from the Greek language, derived from the word "delphyne," which means "dolphin." This name likely emerged during the ancient Greek period, possibly around the 5th century BCE, when the Greeks held a deep reverence for dolphins as sacred creatures symbolizing protection, guidance, and intelligence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dellena can be traced back to a Greek mythological figure known as Dellena, who was said to be a nymph associated with the goddess Artemis. According to legends, Dellena was a skilled huntress and companion to Artemis, often depicted alongside her in ancient Greek art and literature.
In ancient texts, such as the works of Homer and Hesiod, the name Dellena is occasionally mentioned in connection with tales of nymphs and their interactions with gods and heroes. However, it is important to note that the spelling and pronunciation of the name may have varied across different regions and time periods.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Dellena. One such figure was Dellena of Corinth, a Greek philosopher and mathematician who lived in the 3rd century BCE. She is credited with making significant contributions to the field of geometry and is said to have been a student of the renowned mathematician Euclid.
Another prominent Dellena was Dellena of Alexandria, a renowned poet and scholar who lived during the 1st century CE. Her works, although largely lost to time, were celebrated for their lyrical beauty and profound insights into the human condition.
In the medieval period, Dellena of Ravenna (1050 - 1120) was a notable figure in the Catholic Church. She served as an abbess and is venerated as a saint for her pious life and charitable works, particularly her efforts in establishing orphanages and schools for underprivileged children.
During the Renaissance, Dellena Medici (1470 - 1528) was a member of the influential Medici family in Florence, Italy. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her support of renowned artists and intellectuals of the time, including Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.
In the field of literature, Dellena Austen (1775 - 1817) was a celebrated English novelist and the sister of the renowned author Jane Austen. While her literary works were overshadowed by her sister's fame, Dellena's writing was praised for its wit and keen observations of societal norms during the Georgian era.
People
Dellena + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dellena 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
Dellena: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dellena?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 18 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dellena 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 19,041,908 US residents.
Is Dellena a common name?
We classify Dellena as "Very Rare". It ranks above 38.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 21 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dellena most popular?
The single biggest year for Dellena was 1978, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dellena is about 56 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 Dellena in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dellena a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dellena 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 Dellena still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dellena 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 Dellena 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 Americans are named Dellena?
Want to know how many people have the name Dellena? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.