Della

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A female given name of Italian origin commonly used as a first name or part of a compound name
2. A personal name for women, typically found in Italian and English contexts, often as a diminutive or variant linked to other names
3. A proper noun used as a feminine identifier in various cultures, serving as either a stand-alone name or a component in longer names

Etymology: Della is best known as a given name, and its origins are murky. The source suggests it may be a variant of Adela or Delia, two names with separate histories. Adela comes from Germanic roots meaning "noble" and was carried into English by the Normans, while Delia is the classical name borrowed from Greek, linked to Delos, the island of Apollo's birth. Either could have been shortened or respelled into this form, but the link is a possibility rather than something that can be proven. The name appeared in the 19th century, so it is a relatively modern creation compared with the older names it may descend from. Its popularity in Italy, where it is recorded as a women's name, suggests it was taken up there as a distinct given name rather than remaining only a spelling variant.