Fun Facts About the Name Delaney
- More than 46 thousand babies named Delaney: U.S. records list 46,649 babies given the name Delaney from 1880 through 2025. Even 1,213 boys received the name Delaney - about 1 boy for every 37 girls.
What Does the Name Delaney Mean?
Delaney is an anglicized Irish surname meaning "descendant of Dubhshláine." It comes from the Gaelic Ó Dubhshláine, in which Ó means "descendant of" and Dubhshláine is a personal name. That personal name joins dubh, "black" or "dark," with Sláine. The second element is the uncertain part: it is often linked to slán, "healthy, safe, whole," so the compound is commonly read as "dark one of Sláine" or "dark Sláine." Popular glosses such as "dark challenger" are symbolic interpretations rather than literal translations.
Delaney Name History & Origins
The Ó Dubhshláine were a family of Leinster, associated with the area of present-day County Laois. Irish surnames of this kind were formed by placing Ó before an ancestor's personal name, so the surname identified the bearer as a descendant of a man called Dubhshláine rather than describing the bearer directly.
When the name passed into English-language records, scribes spelled it in several ways, among them O'Delany, Delany, and Delaney, and the Ó prefix was commonly dropped from the 17th century onward. Delaney is one of the standard modern anglicizations.
As a first name, Delaney belongs to the wider practice of using Irish surnames as given names. It appears for both boys and girls. Similar-looking surnames such as Delancy or Delaunay are distinct names with different origins and should not be treated as the same.
How Popular is the Name Delaney?
Delaney recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2004. Its best rank was #169 in 2004.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #242 | 1,283 | 0.0798% |
| 2024 | #216 | 1,432 | 0.0888% |
| 2023 | #233 | 1,287 | 0.0803% |
| 2022 | #244 | 1,253 | 0.0765% |
| 2021 | #268 | 1,164 | 0.0710% |
| 2020 | #313 | 1,024 | 0.0634% |
| 2019 | #286 | 1,158 | 0.0690% |
| 2018 | #249 | 1,315 | 0.0773% |
| 2017 | #251 | 1,266 | 0.0734% |
| 2016 | #263 | 1,207 | 0.0681% |
| 2015 | #243 | 1,328 | 0.0744% |
| 2014 | #268 | 1,232 | 0.0690% |
| 2013 | #249 | 1,278 | 0.0728% |
| 2012 | #257 | 1,260 | 0.0716% |
| 2011 | #236 | 1,337 | 0.0760% |
| 2010 | #209 | 1,486 | 0.0836% |
| 2009 | #241 | 1,388 | 0.0756% |
| 2008 | #210 | 1,622 | 0.0858% |
| 2007 | #203 | 1,689 | 0.0879% |
| 2006 | #193 | 1,815 | 0.0955% |
| 2005 | #190 | 1,828 | 0.0989% |
| 2004 | #169 | 2,002 | 0.1090% |
| 2003 | #175 | 1,856 | 0.1016% |
| 2002 | #181 | 1,765 | 0.0982% |
| 2001 | #204 | 1,583 | 0.0879% |
| 2000 | #206 | 1,538 | 0.0847% |
| 1999 | #214 | 1,459 | 0.0823% |
| 1998 | #221 | 1,400 | 0.0792% |
| 1997 | #258 | 1,120 | 0.0643% |
| 1996 | #265 | 1,080 | 0.0616% |
| 1995 | #328 | 820 | 0.0466% |
| 1994 | #516 | 484 | 0.0271% |
| 1993 | #570 | 418 | 0.0231% |
| 1992 | #703 | 307 | 0.0166% |
| 1991 | #879 | 225 | 0.0120% |
| 1990 | #1,009 | 180 | 0.0095% |
| 1989 | #1,473 | 99 | 0.0054% |
| 1988 | #2,424 | 45 | 0.0025% |
| 1987 | #3,271 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1986 | #3,217 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1985 | #3,180 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1984 | #3,635 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1983 | #3,356 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1982 | #3,441 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1981 | #3,361 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 1980 | #5,309 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1979 | #3,260 | 25 | 0.0016% |
| 1978 | #3,658 | 20 | 0.0013% |
| 1977 | #3,792 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 1976 | #4,201 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1975 | #3,300 | 21 | 0.0014% |
| 1974 | #3,456 | 19 | 0.0013% |
| 1973 | #4,196 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| 1972 | #3,936 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1971 | #4,879 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1969 | #7,729 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1968 | #5,762 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1966 | #4,967 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1962 | #6,790 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #6,781 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1956 | #6,165 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1955 | #4,841 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1952 | #5,751 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1939 | #4,389 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,900 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2024 | #9,169 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #5,293 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2022 | #12,784 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #6,416 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #5,298 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2019 | #8,361 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2018 | #5,834 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2017 | #7,213 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #8,302 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #12,518 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #8,967 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #6,714 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2012 | #5,533 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2011 | #5,251 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #5,088 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2009 | #4,968 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2008 | #5,549 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2007 | #5,711 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 2006 | #5,132 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 2005 | #5,644 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2004 | #3,382 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 2003 | #4,319 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2002 | #4,549 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2001 | #4,006 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2000 | #3,168 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1999 | #2,680 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 1998 | #2,874 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1997 | #2,770 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1996 | #2,945 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1995 | #3,586 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1994 | #2,569 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1993 | #3,864 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1992 | #2,611 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1991 | #3,685 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1990 | #3,340 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1989 | #3,350 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1988 | #4,877 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1987 | #3,231 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1986 | #3,695 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1985 | #3,448 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1984 | #2,847 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1983 | #5,047 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #4,312 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #3,912 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1980 | #2,750 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1979 | #2,327 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1978 | #2,502 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 1977 | #2,684 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1976 | #2,856 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1975 | #3,493 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1974 | #2,990 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1973 | #1,941 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 1972 | #1,985 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 1971 | #2,225 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1970 | #2,537 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1969 | #3,380 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #2,168 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1966 | #3,041 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #2,507 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1964 | #2,705 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1963 | #3,111 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1962 | #2,890 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1961 | #2,944 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1960 | #2,922 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1959 | #3,694 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #3,086 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1957 | #2,870 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1956 | #3,622 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #2,462 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1954 | #3,224 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1953 | #2,965 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1952 | #2,277 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1951 | #3,425 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1950 | #3,807 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1949 | #3,080 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1948 | #2,486 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1947 | #3,855 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1946 | #3,253 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1943 | #3,657 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1942 | #2,415 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1940 | #3,563 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1939 | #3,605 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1938 | #3,253 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1936 | #2,209 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1934 | #3,369 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1933 | #3,351 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1932 | #3,462 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1930 | #2,330 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1927 | #3,532 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1923 | #3,229 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1919 | #2,928 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1916 | #4,052 | 5 | 0.0006% |
| 1912 | #2,089 | 7 | 0.0016% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Delaney Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are strong in material matters, determined and stubborn. You have good business ability. You are a good worker, steady and practical, a builder who takes responsibility well. These qualities may bring you a position of authority and power. You are a doer, down-to-earth, serious-minded, reliable, and self-disciplined; have good power of concentration. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Delaney's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Delaney's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.