Delia
Originally a classical epithet of the goddess Diana, meaning “of Delos,” Delia later became a personal name and a surname in some families.
The #6,414 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 58,243 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Delia comes from Latin Delia, an epithet of the goddess Diana meaning “of Delos,” the Greek island where Apollo and Diana were said to have been born. The place-name Delos was associated in ancient Greek tradition with being made visible or manifest. As a surname, Delia is usually best understood as having arisen from a given name or nickname rather than directly from a job or place-name.
History
Nineteenth-century reference books chiefly discuss Delia as a classical female name, and one notes that it was occasionally used in England and sometimes treated as a shortened form of Cordelia. In modern surname use, it is more common in communities with Italian, Maltese, or other Mediterranean naming traditions, where it may also reflect a given-name source. Because surname origins can vary by family, not every Delia will have the same derivation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In classical literature, Delia was one of several poetic names for Diana, alongside Cynthia and Phoebe.
From the historical record
“DEBORAH. (Heb.) A bee. DELIA. (Lat) A name given to the goddess Diana from being born on the island of Delos (manifest, conspicuous), so called because having previously been hidden under water, it was brought to the surface and made manifest, in order that Apollo and Diana might be born upon it. DIANA. (Greek.)…”
— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names