Delaney
Delaney was the 242nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,283 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 169th with 2,002 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1 places. More babies were named Delaney in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Norman French, Irish
Say it duh-LAY-nee /dəˈleɪni/
- Rank in 2025
- #242 girls, up 71 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,283girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20042,002 babies
- Total since 1880
- 46,650babies recorded
What does the name Delaney mean?
Delaney has two separate origins, Wiktionary and Wikipedia explain. As a Norman surname it comes from a French place name, del aunaie, 'from the alder grove'. In Ireland it is the English form of Ó Dubhshláine, which Wiktionary analyses as dubh, 'black', and slán, 'challenge' or 'defiance'. Wikipedia notes it was used as a given name for both boys and girls in the American South by the 1850s.
aunaie (Old French, “alder grove”)dubh (Irish, “black, dark”)slán (Irish, “challenge (per Wiktionary)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Norman French 'alder grove' and Irish Ó Dubhshláine are separate sources.
Related names: Delany, Laney, Delanie.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Delaney', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Delaney (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Delaney
The usual nicknames for Delaney are Laney. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Delaney in the last five years, 34 were named Laney, against 27 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laney | Modern | #674 | 2,156 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Delaneys go by each one.
Delaney popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,213 since 1912, 12 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #242 | 1,283 |
| 2020 | #313 | 1,024 |
| 2010 | #209 | 1,486 |
| 2000 | #206 | 1,538 |
| 1990 | #1,009 | 180 |
| 1980 | #5,308 | 13 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Delaney, counting every spelling?
Delaney is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #222 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #242 for Delaney on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,565 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaney | 1,283 | #242 | 6,424 |
| Delani | 146 | #1,469 | 689 |
| Delanie | 120 | #1,705 | 600 |
| Delanee | 9 | #10,296 | 33 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Delaney?
1,283 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Delaney (0.36 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Delaney born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 7 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Delaney.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Delaney?
About 45,000 people born in the US named Delaney are alive today, with a median age of 18; half are between 10 and 24. That makes Delaney mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Delaney by state
How common Delaney was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Delaware (4.1×), New Hampshire (3.8×), Maine (3.4×), West Virginia (3.0×), Montana (2.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in North Dakota, California, Texas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Delaney: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Delaney, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Delaney · Sibling names for Delaney
Questions about the name Delaney
What does Delaney mean?
The origin of Delaney is uncertain: Norman French 'alder grove' and Irish Ó Dubhshláine are separate sources.
How popular is the name Delaney?
Delaney was the 242nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,283 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 169th with 2,002 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1 places. More babies were named Delaney in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Delaney a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Delaney in the US.
Where is Delaney most popular?
In 2021–2025, Delaney was most common in Delaware (3.26 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Hampshire and Maine.