| Delia | Eleni | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Of Delos | Torch; bright light (disputed) |
| Origin | Greek | greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | DEEL-yah | eh-LEH-nee |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 0 |
| Peak year | 1957 (490) | 2024 (255) |
| In 2025 | 135 | 0 |
| Trend | Declining | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Delia | Eleni |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 873 | 1,216 |
| 2010s | 1,973 | 1,420 |
| 2000s | 2,346 | 1,319 |
| 1990s | 2,191 | 1,275 |
| 1980s | 2,213 | 762 |
| 1970s | 2,976 | 469 |
| 1960s | 3,856 | 239 |
| 1950s | 4,589 | 100 |
| 1940s | 3,213 | 22 |
| 1930s | 2,853 | 0 |
| 1920s | 2,829 | 0 |
| 1910s | 2,360 | 0 |
| 1900s | 1,629 | 0 |
| 1890s | 1,871 | 0 |
| 1880s | 1,546 | 0 |
Delia means “of Delos,” the island birthplace of Artemis.
Modern Greek form of Helen/Helene. The etymology is uncertain: most often linked to Greek 'hele' ('torch') or a root meaning 'shine/bright', with some scholars instead proposing a connection to the moon or a pre-Greek word of unknown meaning. The 'torch/bright light' reading is traditional but not settled.
Delia is more popular than Eleni today: about 135 US babies were given the name Delia in 2025, compared with 0 named Eleni.
Delia means Of Delos (Greek origin), while Eleni means Torch; bright light (disputed) (greek origin).
In US records, Delia first appears in 1880 and Eleni in 0, so Eleni has the longer recorded history.