Delphene
Feminine name of Greek origin meaning "from Delphi".
Name Census estimates that about 16 living Americans carry the first name Delphene. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Delphene today is around 69 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Delphene births was 1959 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Delphene. 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 Delphene is about 69 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Delphenes were born before 1967.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Delphene. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
16
~ 1 in 21,422,146 Americans
Peak year
1959
9 babies that year
Average age
69
years old
1963 SSA rank
#6,040
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Delphene: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Delphene from the 1920s through to the 1960s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 11 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1930s peak, Delphene remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Delphene 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 Delphene 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 Delphene
The name Delphene originates from the Greek language and has its roots in the ancient Greek city of Delphi, which was known for its famous oracle and temple dedicated to the god Apollo. The name is derived from the Greek word "delphine," meaning dolphin, which was a sacred animal in ancient Greek mythology associated with the god Apollo.
The earliest recorded use of the name Delphene can be traced back to ancient Greece, where it was a feminine form of the name Delphinus, which was given to individuals born near the city of Delphi or those who had a connection to the oracle or the cult of Apollo. In Greek mythology, the dolphin was believed to be a symbol of protection, guidance, and wisdom, and the name Delphene was likely given to individuals with the hope that they would embody these qualities.
One of the earliest known historical figures bearing the name Delphene was a Greek priestess who served in the temple of Apollo at Delphi during the 5th century BCE. She was renowned for her prophetic abilities and her close connection to the oracle, which was believed to be a direct link to the god Apollo himself.
In the 2nd century CE, there was a Christian martyr named Delphene who was executed in Gaul (modern-day France) for refusing to renounce her faith. She is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, and her feast day is celebrated on November 15th.
Another notable figure named Delphene was a Byzantine noblewoman who lived in the 11th century CE. She was the wife of the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros III Botaneiates and played a significant role in the political affairs of the Byzantine Empire during her husband's reign.
In the 16th century, there was a French noblewoman named Delphene de Lesdiguières who was known for her involvement in the French Wars of Religion. She was a devoted supporter of the Protestant cause and actively participated in the defense of her family's stronghold against Catholic forces.
During the 18th century, Delphene de Girardin was a French writer and salonnière who hosted one of the most influential literary salons in Paris. She was known for her works of poetry and her support of the Romantic movement in French literature.
While the name Delphene has its origins in ancient Greece and has been used throughout history, it is relatively uncommon in modern times, with fewer people bearing this name in recent decades compared to its historical usage.
People
Delphene + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Delphene 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
Delphene: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Delphene?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Delphene 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 21,422,146 US residents.
Is Delphene a common name?
We classify Delphene as "Very Rare". It ranks above 36.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 42 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Delphene most popular?
The single biggest year for Delphene was 1959, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Delphene is about 69 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 Delphene in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Delphene a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Delphene 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 Delphene still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Delphene 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 Delphene 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 Delphene?
See how many people have the name Delphene on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.