Delbert
Delbert was the 6901st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 12 babies. Its best year was 1920, when it ranked 150th; the most babies were born in 1932 (1,038). Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,469 places. More babies were named Delbert in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning short form of Adelbert; "noble and bright" · Germanic, American English
Say it DEL-bert /ˈdɛlbərt/
- Rank in 2025
- #6,901 boys, down 2,957 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 12boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19321,038 babies
- Total since 1880
- 47,056babies recorded
What does the name Delbert mean?
Delbert is described by Wikipedia as a short form of Adelbert (Albert), from the Germanic elements adal, "noble", and berht, "bright". Wiktionary lists it only as a male given name without an origin. It was a mainly American name, most common in the first half of the 20th century, perhaps also shaped by other names ending in -bert such as Elbert and Gilbert.
adal (Old High German, “noble”)beraht (Old High German, “bright”)
How sure is this? Probable. Only Wikipedia gives the Adelbert link; it is plausible but not documented in a scholarly source.
Related names: Albert, Adelbert, Del, Elbert, Dell.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean light, names that mean noble.
Sources for this meaning
- Wikipedia, 'Delbert', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Albert', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Delbert', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Delbert
The usual nicknames for Delbert are Del and Bert. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Delbert in the last five years, 76 were named Del, against 27 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Del · also for Delilah, Adele | Traditional | #8,417 | 56 |
| Bert · also for Robert, Albert, Herbert | Traditional | #10,866 | 42 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Delberts go by each one.
Delbert popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 126 since 1916.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,901 | 12 |
| 2020 | #3,944 | 26 |
| 2010 | #4,267 | 23 |
| 2000 | #2,819 | 32 |
| 1990 | #1,120 | 92 |
| 1980 | #749 | 137 |
| 1970 | #505 | 255 |
| 1960 | #353 | 490 |
| 1950 | #278 | 569 |
| 1940 | #180 | 813 |
| 1930 | #151 | 1,013 |
| 1920 | #150 | 982 |
| 1910 | #212 | 122 |
| 1900 | #319 | 44 |
| 1890 | #329 | 28 |
| 1880 | #250 | 44 |
How popular is Delbert, counting every spelling?
Delbert has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Delbert?
12 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Delbert (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Delbert 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 705 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Delbert.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Delbert?
About 15,200 people born in the US named Delbert are alive today, with a median age of 68; half are between 56 and 78. That makes Delbert a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Delbert: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Delbert, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Delbert
What does Delbert mean?
Delbert means “short form of Adelbert; "noble and bright"” (Germanic, American English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Delbert?
Delbert was the 6901st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 12 babies. Its best year was 1920, when it ranked 150th; the most babies were born in 1932 (1,038). Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,469 places. More babies were named Delbert in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Delbert a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Delbert in the US.