Delilah

The girl's name Delilah is considered a predominantly English variant of the Hebrew name Delila, which was adopted from the Bible. The origins of the name are not clearly defined, thus it has several possible interpretations.

What does the name Delilah mean?

The girl's name Delilah is considered a predominantly English variant of the Hebrew name Delila, which was adopted from the Bible. The origins of the name are not clearly defined, thus it has several possible interpretations. 1.) On one hand, Delilah means 'the one with hanging hair,' 'the one with long curly hair,' and 'the flowing lock.' Derived from the ancient Hebrew dalal (דלל) meaning 'to hang' or 'to dangle.' 2.) On the other hand, the name could also mean 'the little one,' derived from the ancient Hebrew term dal (דל) or dalal (דלל) meaning 'to be small,' 'to be insignificant,' and 'light.' 3.) Furthermore, the name Delilah may possibly be derived from the Arabic dalla meaning 'to flirt' and 'to coquette.' Consequently, it implies 'the flirtatious one,' 'the seductive one,' and 'the coquette.' 4.) Another derivation could come from the ancient Hebrew del, delı̂ylâh or delilah meaning 'the one who weakens,' 'the weak one,' 'weak,' and 'fainting.' Thus, the first name might mean 'the fainting one' or 'the weak one.' 5.) The derivation attempt through the Aramaic genitive particle d(ī) and Hebrew lailāh (לילה) meaning 'night' is considered highly dubious. The name appears in the Hebrew Bible book of Judges 16. In the Old Testament, Delilah is the beloved of Samson, who was thought to be invincible. Samson revealed to her the secret of his strength, which lay in his magnificent long hair. While he slept, Delilah secretly cut off his locks, causing him to lose his strength. She then betrayed him to the Philistines. (Thus, it is not Delilah who is the flowing lock and the weak one, but Samson whose locks fell and he became weak.) Other variants include Dalila, Dalilah, Deleila, Dilayla, and Delayla.

Where does the name Delilah come from?

The etymology of Delilah is a female first name of ancient Hebrew origin meaning 'the one with hanging hair.' Ancient Hebrew

How do you pronounce Delilah?

Sound & pronunciation of Delilah: The name Delilah is three syllables and widely stretched. In the English pronunciation 'De-lai-la' [dɪˈlaɪlə], the second syllable with the diphthong ai carries the tonal peak. The soft l sounds connect the syllables smoothly. The open a ending gives the name warmth. Delilah thus sounds melodious and expressive - feminine, soft, and internationally influenced.

Popularity

Delilah is a common first name in Germany. In 2023, it ranked 3,880th on the list of the most popular female baby names. Its best ranking was in 2013 at 1,267th place. In the last ten years, Delilah has been given as a first name about 90 times, placing it 2,696th in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 2,357th.

Nicknames & pet names

Dee / Del / Deli / Deliah / Delilama / Della / Leila / Lia / Liah / Lila / Lilah / Lilli / Lilly / Lini

Similar first names

Famous people

• Delilah Asiago (Kenyan long-distance runner)
• Delilah Cotto (American actress)
• Delilah Dicrescenzo (American long-distance runner)
• Delilah L. Beasley (American historian)
• Delilah Maria te Maria (fictional character from the book series 'Sisters of the Moon')
• hey there delilah (song by the Plain White Ts)
• Modern Day Delilah (song by KISS)