Find out how popular the first name Delta has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Delta by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Delta is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 97% of people named Delta being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 105 female babies and 5 male babies born with the name Delta.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 5 baby boys were named Delta in 2023, despite it being a predominantly female name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Delta

The name Delta is derived from the Greek letter of the same name, which is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. The word "delta" itself comes from the Phoenician letter "dalt," which was used to represent the "d" sound. In ancient Greek, the letter delta represented the "d" sound as well.

The name Delta likely originated as a reference to the triangular shape of the Nile River delta in Egypt, which was a significant geographical feature in ancient times. The delta of a river is the area where it spreads out into multiple branches before reaching the sea or another body of water. The triangular shape of the Nile delta resembles the Greek letter delta, hence the name.

While the name Delta is not commonly found in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been used as a name throughout history, often as a nod to the geographical feature or as a reference to the Greek letter itself.

One of the earliest recorded instances of Delta as a given name is Delta Phi Upsilon, a women's fraternity founded at Calcutta University in India in 1909. The organization chose the name Delta as a reference to the Greek letter's symbolic meaning of "door to the light of knowledge."

Notable individuals with the first name Delta include:

1. Delta Enduring Fey (1952-2016), an American poet and performance artist.
2. Delta Haynie (1873-1951), an American actress and vaudeville performer.
3. Delta Hudson (1909-1986), an American jazz singer and actress.
4. Delta Hunt (1868-1922), an American author and educator.
5. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., an African American sorority founded in 1913 at Howard University.

While the name Delta is not as common as some other names, it has a rich history rooted in ancient Greek language and geography, and has been used as a given name throughout various periods in history, often with a nod to its symbolic meaning or as a reference to the Greek letter itself.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Delta was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Delta, please contact us.

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