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Josie vs Delilah

Which is more popular?
Delilah is more popular than Josie today: about 4,137 US babies were given the name Delilah in 2025, compared with 3,021 named Josie.
JosieDelilah
Meaning God shall add delicate / languishing (disputed)
Origin Hebrew hebrew
Gender Girl Girl
Pronunciation JOH-zee dih-LY-lah
Syllables 2 3
First appeared18801880
Peak year2025 (3,021)2024 (4,254)
In 20253,0214,137
TrendNear its peakNear its peak
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Josie Delilah
18801900192019401960198020002020

Source: US Social Security Administration.

Births by decade

DecadeJosieDelilah
2020s 14,981 23,499
2010s 13,927 25,018
2000s 10,634 7,610
1990s 6,039 1,822
1980s 2,545 1,895
1970s 2,123 1,477
1960s 2,060 802
1950s 2,427 1,633
1940s 3,374 740
1930s 3,464 539
1920s 4,095 605
1910s 3,370 501
1900s 2,118 195
1890s 2,329 209
1880s 1,884 138

What does Josie mean?

Josie is a pet form of Josephine, from the Hebrew, “God shall add.”

What does Delilah mean?

Meaning uncertain. Usually traced to the root dalal, 'to hang low, be low, languish, weaken,' giving the common glosses 'delicate' or '(she who) weakened' — and the Samson narrative plays on her bringing him low (Judges 16). Competing proposals include 'temptress' (from an Arabic root) and a shortened theophoric tied to Ishtar; some lexicons simply mark it 'unknown.' Treat as disputed.

Frequently asked questions

Is Josie or Delilah more popular?

Delilah is more popular than Josie today: about 4,137 US babies were given the name Delilah in 2025, compared with 3,021 named Josie.

What is the difference between Josie and Delilah?

Josie means God shall add (Hebrew origin), while Delilah means delicate / languishing (disputed) (hebrew origin).

Which name is older, Josie or Delilah?

In US records, Josie first appears in 1880 and Delilah in 1880, so Josie has the longer recorded history.