Find out how popular the last name Delph is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Delph.

Delph, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Delph surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Delph in America

Delph is the 13600th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Delph surname appeared 2,228 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Delph.

We can also compare 2010 data for Delph to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Delph

The surname Delph has its roots in medieval England, originating from the Old English words "delf" or "delfe," which mean a quarry, mine, or pit. This suggests that the name was likely derived from a topographic feature or a place name associated with such a location. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in various counties of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Staffordshire.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which recorded the names of landowners and tenants. In this document, the name appears as "de la Delph," indicating that it was a locative surname referring to a person from a place called Delph or a similar name.

During the Middle Ages, the name Delph was often associated with those who lived near or worked in quarries or mines, as these were important industries in many regions of England. The name may have also been used to identify individuals who lived near or owned land near a specific quarry or mine.

In the 16th century, variations of the name began to appear, such as Delphe, Delfe, and Delffe. These spellings were likely influenced by regional dialects and the inconsistent nature of spelling during that period.

Throughout history, several notable individuals bore the surname Delph. One example is John Delph, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Chester, England, who lived in the late 16th century. Another is William Delph, a respected clergyman and author who served as the vicar of Wingham in Kent during the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the name was recorded in various parish records across England, including those of Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Staffordshire. One notable bearer of the name during this time was Richard Delph, a successful businessman and landowner from Lancashire, who lived from 1720 to 1795.

As the centuries progressed, the name Delph continued to be found in various parts of England, with some families migrating to other regions or countries. In the 19th century, for instance, Thomas Delph, a skilled engineer from Yorkshire, made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and industrial machinery.

It is important to note that while the name Delph has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and has taken on various spellings and forms in different languages and cultures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Delph

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Delph.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Delph was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Delph has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!