About Delilah
Delilah is a Hebrew name usually understood as delicate, weak, or languishing. It is best known from the biblical story of Samson, whose strength she helps bring to an end. Its three-syllable sound and familiar endings Lila and Lilah have also given it a substantial modern naming life.
The Hebrew name
Delilah appears in the book of Judges. The English form keeps the sequence of d and l sounds around a strongly stressed middle syllable, while related forms include Dalila and Delila.
The name was used in English from the seventeenth century, including among Puritans. Its later history therefore extends beyond its recent popularity: it has been a personal name in the English-speaking world for several centuries.
English pronunciation is dih-LYE-luh. Lila and Lilah are established familiar forms drawn from the end. They keep the central long vowel while removing the first syllable, changing the full name's rhythm quite clearly.
Delilah and Samson
In Judges 16, the Philistine rulers offer Delilah money to discover the source of Samson's strength. She asks him how he could be bound and subdued, and he initially gives answers that do not reveal the truth.
The repeated attempts create the structure of the story: Delilah tests each explanation, and Samson breaks free. Eventually he tells her that his uncut hair is connected with his lifelong dedication as a Nazirite.
After he falls asleep with his head on her lap, Delilah calls for a man to shave his seven braids. Samson's strength leaves him, and the Philistines capture him.
This specific sequence is central to the name's biblical association. Delilah's part involves persuasion, knowledge, and betrayal, while the physical change in Samson's hair marks the moment when the balance of power shifts.
Delilah in French opera
Camille Saint-Saëns's Samson et Dalila carries the story into opera, using the French form Dalila. Ferdinand Lemaire wrote the libretto, and the work first appeared at the Grand Ducal Theater in Weimar on December 2, 1877.
The opera brings a much larger musical setting to the conflict, with a large orchestra and chorus. Its dramatic world combines the personal encounter between Samson and Dalila with the public struggle surrounding them.
Dalila's music gave the biblical figure another lasting artistic life. The operatic form is a direct relative of Delilah, connecting the English name with a work that has remained part of the international repertory.
American popularity
Delilah rose from 358 United States girls in 2000 to 1,672 in 2010. Its strongest ranking and largest annual count came in 2024, at #50 with 4,254 births.
In 2025 it ranked #51 with 4,137 girls. The recent record shows a major rise into the American top hundred, following much smaller counts during the later twentieth century.
Sources & methodologyReferences, data & attribution
Meaning and history draw on the references below. American figures use the local Social Security Administration series for this exact spelling and sex; counts below five are omitted. Existing Wiktionary content is available under CC BY-SA. Suggested shortenings are identified in the prose.
How popular is Delilah?
In 2025, Delilah ranked #51 among girls in the United States, with 4,137 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1880; its largest annual count was 4,254 in 2024. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.