Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Delilah

31 replies

Sleepinglemon · 21/06/2019 08:40

I love the name Delilah, and am not particularly bothered about the biblical reference personally. But I always try to think what would someone think if they got an email or a CV from the name I'm thinking about. Would you wonder why her parents named her after a biblical temptress?

Are there any similar names with less negative connotations?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
LassOfFyvie · 23/06/2019 22:13

It's a really horrible name.

RosemaryRemember · 23/06/2019 17:13

I do family history research and saw the name just this week (after reading this thread!) used in England early 1800s. It's not newly adopted.

TatianaLarina · 23/06/2019 16:59

Love.

Women are treated abominably in the bible and in antiquity generally. There’s some evidence she was originally a moon goddess with a misogynist rewrite.

daisypond · 23/06/2019 16:57

How about Lydia or Dolores or Jemima?They have the same singsong sound as Delilah without the evil connotations. Mind you, Aunt Lydia might have scuppered that one.

diddlediddle · 23/06/2019 16:46

I like it. I know of a sibset called Delilah and Tallulah!

Stravapalava · 23/06/2019 16:16

I love the name and we considered it for our first daughter but agreed that we couldn't get past the song - we'd be forever singing it!

How about:

Jemima
Philippa
Dorothea
Dinah

VioletCharlotte · 23/06/2019 16:14

Delilah's a great name, I love it!

Fatkins · 23/06/2019 16:14

I know a baby Delilah! I love it. Nobody really cares about the biblical reference do they? The Delilah I know gets Lilah for short.

daisypond · 23/06/2019 15:16

I don’t like it. Biblical Temptress is glamorising it, really. She’s more an archetype of evil- a deceiver, a betrayer, a type of Judas or Satan. Though you can blame the patriarchy, no doubt, for her portrayal in literature and art. If you like the sound, Tallulah is better.

NapsAndTea · 23/06/2019 14:43

I love Delilah

Sleepinglemon · 21/06/2019 20:56

@PinkieTuscadero I just read about biblical Judith and now I feel better, thank you!

OP posts:
Owlbert · 21/06/2019 19:34

Lovely name! Go for it!

PinkieTuscadero · 21/06/2019 15:41

Judith chopped off Holofernes head but I don't think people have the same reservations with that name as they do with Delilah.

PinkieTuscadero · 21/06/2019 15:39

I work with a Delilah and have never wondered if she was named after the biblical Delilah. I assume her parents just loved the name. And it is a beautiful name, the only thing that would give me pause would be wondering how often someone would sing one of the Delilah songs at her (esp. the Tom Jones one). I might ask Delilah next time I see her!

villamariavintrapp · 21/06/2019 15:05

I love the name but wouldn't use it because of the Tom Jones song/domestic violence association.

Sleepinglemon · 21/06/2019 14:18

@Teddybear45 sold! Luciferina it is!

OP posts:
gerbilfun · 21/06/2019 10:54

Love Delilah such a pretty name.

Tallulah
Scarlett
Savannah
Alessa
Vivienne
Paloma
Vaeda
Avianna
Larosa

Teddybear45 · 21/06/2019 10:47

Ah yes nothing better than to name a child after the female Judas / character on whom all the negative stereotypes of foreigners was attributed. Just because a name is in the Bible doesn’t make it appropriate. You might as well name her Luciferina!

Sleepinglemon · 21/06/2019 10:43

@RosemaryRemember love Tallulah! DH says it sounds like a stripper name. 😕

OP posts:
AverageMummy · 21/06/2019 10:13

Lovely name

alwaysonadiet1 · 21/06/2019 09:47

One of my favourite songs is 'Hey There Delilah' by The Plain White Ts, that's what springs to my mind.

99bb · 21/06/2019 09:29

I think it’s a lovely name and would never think like that. So many lovely names have terrible meanings, or origins and I’d never really think of them.

It was briefly on our list before I realised it really didn’t work with our surname. I also struggled knowing that at some point I’d inevitably end up getting exasperated with her and say “why, why, why Delilah?!”

JuniperNarni · 21/06/2019 09:11

Delilah seems to be really rising in popularity. I very much doubt anybody is going to be making bible references by the time they are old enough to be writing a CV because it will be a fairly well used name.
(I have a Delilah)

Frondy · 21/06/2019 09:05

I think it would be great. It feels like the time is right for it, somehow.

breaker · 21/06/2019 09:03

LOVE Delilah. So pretty and unusual.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.

Swipe left for the next trending thread