Delpha
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly related to the Greek term "delphys", meaning "womb".
Name Census estimates that about 282 living Americans carry the first name Delpha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Delpha today is around 79 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Delpha births was 1921 (74 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Delpha. 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 Delpha is about 79 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Delphas were born before 1957.
People living today
282
~ 1 in 1,215,441 Americans
Peak year
1921
74 babies that year
Average age
79
years old
1979 SSA rank
#10,586
Tracked since 1882
Popularity
Delpha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Delpha from the 1880s through to the 1970s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 548 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Delpha 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 Delpha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Delphas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. Missouri, Kentucky, Oklahoma recorded the most babies named Delpha, while West Virginia, Texas, Idaho recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 30 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Delpha
The given name Delpha is derived from the Greek word "delphus," which means "womb" or "deep inmost recess." Its origins can be traced back to ancient Greece, where it was likely used as a symbolic name reflecting fertility and femininity.
In Greek mythology, the name Delpha is connected to the oracle of Delphi, a sacred site located on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. The oracle was considered the most prestigious and authoritative among the Greeks, and the name Delpha may have been associated with the mystical and prophetic aspects of the site.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Delpha can be found in the writings of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC. He mentions a woman named Delpha in his work "The Histories," though details about her life are scarce.
In the Middle Ages, the name Delpha gained popularity among certain Christian communities, possibly due to its association with the Greek word "delphos," meaning "dolphin." The dolphin was seen as a symbol of salvation and protection in early Christian art and literature.
One notable bearer of the name Delpha was Saint Delpha of Sardes, a 4th-century Christian martyr from Sardis, in modern-day Turkey. She is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.
Another historical figure with the name Delpha was Delpha Louisa Campbell (1840-1914), an American educator and missionary who worked among the Native American tribes in the late 19th century. She established several schools and advocated for the education of indigenous children.
In the literary world, the name Delpha appears in the works of the American novelist and short story writer Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960). One of her characters, Delpha Williams, is featured in the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God."
The name Delpha also has a presence in the arts. Delpha Hudson (1880-1965) was an American painter and printmaker known for her landscapes and portraits of Native Americans. She was a member of the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors.
Finally, Delpha Lucille Webb (1899-1950) was an American aviator and one of the first women to earn a commercial pilot's license in the United States. She was a pioneer in the field of aviation and helped pave the way for future female pilots.
People
Delpha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Delpha 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
Delpha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Delpha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 282 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Delpha 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 1,215,441 US residents.
Is Delpha a common name?
We classify Delpha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,025 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Delpha most popular?
The single biggest year for Delpha was 1921, when 74 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Delpha is about 79 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Delpha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Delpha 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.
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.