Della

♀ Girl

Pronounced DEL-ah /ˈdɛl.ə/High

Meaning: Short form of Adela or Adeline, from Old High German adal meaning 'noble' or 'nobility'; also used as a standalone name and occasionally as a short form of names like Cordelia or Odella; the simple two-syllable form has been independent since the 19th centuryHigh

In 30 seconds: Della is a warm, two-syllable Victorian short form of Adela meaning 'noble.' Sweet without being saccharine, it is one of the most perfectly proportioned names in the vintage-revival movement.

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Origin HighEnglish, German

MeaningShort form of Adela or Adeline, from Old High German adal meaning 'noble' or 'nobility'; also used as a standalone name and occasionally as a short form of names like Cordelia or Odella; the simple two-syllable form has been independent since the 19th century

U.S. rank (2025)#563 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births533 girls (0.03% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1917

Total births (all-time)≈ 70,807

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Della is most commonly a short form of Adela or Adeline, from Old High German adal meaning 'noble.' It has also been used as a standalone given name since at least the mid-19th century and appears in O. Henry's beloved 1905 story The Gift of the Magi. In some traditions it also connects to Cordelia (via the -del- element) or stands independently as a feminine given name with no specific parent name.

Della was popular in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, faded through the mid-century decades, and is now experiencing a strong vintage revival. It currently ranks in the top 300 and is climbing, fitting neatly into the current fashion for short, two-syllable vintage girl names ending in a vowel — alongside Nora, Cora, Vera, and Willa.

Did you know? O. Henry's 1905 short story The Gift of the Magi features a heroine named Della who sells her hair to buy her husband a watch chain — one of the most famous acts of selfless love in American literature, making Della a name permanently associated with devotion and sacrifice.

Overall data confidence 88%

Behind the Name — Della — etymology and historyU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

AdelaAdelineDell

Nicknames

Dell

Famous Bearers

★Della (fictional) (fictional)
The heroine of O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi, who sells her hair to buy a gift for her husband.
★Della Reese (1931–2017)
American gospel and pop singer and actress, known for the TV series Touched by an Angel.

If you like Della…

Nora— shares the two-syllable -a ending, the vintage warmth, and the same rising revival momentum

Vera— fellow two-syllable Old World girls' name with the same quiet, luminous vintage charm

Willa— two-syllable -a ending name with the same gentle, literary, vintage-revival character

Stella— shares the two-syllable -a structure and the same elegant, vintage-revived American feel

Frequently Asked

What does the name Della mean?

Della is a short form of Adela and Adeline, from Old High German adal meaning 'noble.' It has been used independently since the 19th century and is famous from O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi.

How do you pronounce Della?

It is said DEL-ah — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Della a boy or girl name?

Della is used almost exclusively as a girls' name.

How popular is Della?

Della ranks in the U.S. top 300 for girls and is rising steadily as part of the vintage -a ending name revival.