girl's name
Delphine
del-FEEN
- Origin French
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 8
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 141,654
Canada
#465
2024 births
Delphine means of Delphi, and the dolphin reading is not a coincidence — the Greeks connected the oracle site and the animal through a word for a womb, so both descend from the same root.
- Delphine is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1977, when 7,500 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 58,952 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Delphine over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 1,685 |
| 1910s | 955 |
| 1920s | 735 |
| 1930s | 425 |
| 1940s | 205 |
| 1950s | 295 |
| 1960s | 9,795 |
| 1970s | 64,365 |
| 1980s | 37,770 |
| 1990s | 9,230 |
| 2000s | 1,740 |
| 2010s | 400 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 110 |
What Delphine means
Delphine means a woman of Delphi. The Greek place name and the word for a dolphin share a root meaning a womb, which is why the two readings both appear.
Where Delphine comes from
Delphine is the French form of the Latin Delphina, a woman of Delphi — the site of the Pythia, whose oracles were the most consulted in the Greek world and were delivered in verse that could be read more than one way. The dolphin connection is genuine: both Delphi and delphis descend from delphys, a womb, and a Homeric hymn has Apollo take dolphin form to bring Cretan priests to the site. Saint Delphine was a fourteenth-century Provençal noblewoman, which is where the French use comes from.
Delphine in use
Delphine peaked in France in 1977, when 7,500 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 910th in England and Wales on 39 births — its strongest market — then 3170th in France on 10 and 3623rd in the United States on 42, across 141,654 lifetime births in four of the seven markets we track. England ranking a French name above France is worth noting.
How popular is Delphine?
In 2025, Delphine was given to 10 babies in France. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Delphine is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
How Delphine is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Délphine | Délphine is a rare spelling of Delphine, written with an acute accent and recorded about 25 times, mostly in France. | 25 |
Names that peaked alongside Delphine
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Delphine also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Delphine over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Delphine
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Delphine in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Delphine
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Delphine — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Delphine
What does the name Delphine mean?
Of Delphi — the site of the Greek oracle.
Is Delphine related to dolphin?
Yes. Both Delphi and delphis descend from delphys, a womb, and Apollo takes dolphin form in a Homeric hymn.
What was the Oracle of Delphi?
The most consulted oracle in the Greek world, delivering verses that could usually be read more than one way.
How popular is Delphine?
910th in England and Wales, which ranks it above France at 3170th.
Is Delphine a girl's or a boy's name?
Delphine is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Delphine?
Delphine has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Delphine?
Delphine is usually shortened to Del.
Is Delphine a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Delphine currently ranks #465 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.