All names

Delylah

A spelling variant of Delilah, from Hebrew, often interpreted as delicate or languishing.

#46023 sylHebrewBiblicalModern
Swipe names like DelylahFree · no signup

Popularity over time

1900s1950s1990s
Flow
3 syllables
Pronounce

Name story

Delylah is an expressive respelling of Delilah, one of the Old Testament's most electrically charged names. The original Hebrew דְּלִילָה (Delilah) is most often interpreted as meaning "delicate," "languishing," or "one who weakened" — a meaning that became inseparable from the biblical narrative of Samson, whose strength Delilah famously undid by learning the secret of his hair.

That story, told in the Book of Judges, gave the name centuries of complex baggage: it was largely avoided in Christian Europe as a byword for seductive treachery, while some scholars have reread Delilah as a figure of agency and cunning in a patriarchal world. The 20th century rehabilitated Delilah through music and pop culture. Tom Jones's 1968 hit "Delilah" softened the name's edge with romantic drama, and by the 2000s it had fully shed its stigma, climbing popularity charts in the United States and United Kingdom.

The Delylah spelling — with its extra syllable weight on the second element — is a modern flourish that personalizes the name, echoing the trend of embellishing classic names with distinctive orthography. It reads as softer and more whimsical than the standard spelling, while retaining all of the original name's storied depth and lyrical beauty.

Names like Delylah

Noah
Hebrew · Hebrew for 'rest' or 'comfort'; the biblical patriarch who built the ark before the great flood.
Theodore
Greek · From Greek 'Theodoros' meaning gift of God, borne by saints and a U.S. president.
James
Hebrew · From Hebrew 'Yaakov' (Jacob) via Late Latin 'Jacomus'; means 'supplanter.' A perennial royal name.
Mateo
Spanish · Spanish form of Matthew, from Hebrew 'Mattityahu' meaning gift of God.
Elijah
Hebrew · Hebrew 'Eliyyahu' meaning 'my God is Yahweh'; a major Old Testament prophet.
Isabella
Italian · Latinate form of Elizabeth, from Hebrew Elisheva meaning 'God is my oath.' Borne by many European queens.
Lucas
Latin · From Latin Lucas, derived from Greek Loukas meaning 'from Lucania' or associated with lux, 'light'.
Benjamin
Hebrew · From Hebrew 'Binyamin' meaning son of the right hand, the youngest son of Jacob in the Bible.
Levi
Hebrew · Hebrew for 'joined' or 'attached'; the third son of Jacob and Leah in the Bible.
Ezra
Hebrew · From Hebrew 'Ezra' meaning 'help' or 'helper,' borne by an Old Testament priest and scribe.
Ava
Latin · Possibly from Latin 'avis' meaning 'bird,' or a variant of Eve meaning 'life.'
Sebastian
Greek · From Greek Sebastos meaning "venerable" or "revered," originally denoting someone from Sebastia.
Jack
English · Medieval diminutive of John via 'Jankin,' ultimately from Hebrew meaning God is gracious.
Daniel
Hebrew · From Hebrew Daniyyel meaning 'God is my judge'; an Old Testament prophet who survived the lions' den.
Samuel
Hebrew · From Hebrew Shemu'el meaning 'heard by God'; a major Old Testament prophet and judge.

Explore more

Like Delylah?

Swipe through thousands of names like it

Start swiping