Delon
Masculine
Delon is overwhelmingly a boys’ name — 1,378 boys against 38 girls since 1880.
Delon has an American shape and a French shadow. It fits the De- prefix system exactly, and it is also the surname of Alain Delon, who was among the most photographed men in the world in the years the American name peaked.
How old is the name Delon?
Delon first appears in US birth records in 1932 — 93 years ago. The typical Delon alive today was born around 1992, making them about 33 years old. About 1,300 people named Delon are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Delon most popular?
Delon peaked in 1973, reaching #1586 nationally. Today it ranks #5399, 3,813 places below that high. See the whole 1973 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Delon
The date is what makes this name interesting. Delon appears in American birth records in the 1960s and peaks in 1973 — precisely the years in which Alain Delon was at the height of an international career that had run from Plein Soleil in 1960 through Le Samouraï in 1967 and Borsalino in 1970. He was, by common account, one of the most recognizable faces in world cinema. At the same time the De- prefix was fully productive in American naming, generating Delon, Delaine, Deron and Delano without any outside help. So there are two entirely sufficient explanations for the same name in the same decade, and the record cannot separate them. The honest position notes the coincidence and does not resolve it.
Meaningnot established
Not established
No source establishes an etymology. As an American formation it is the De- prefix joined to a -lon ending, neither of which has a documented meaning. The French surname Delon is a separate matter: French surnames beginning de l' are locative, meaning of the place, though the second element here is not securely identified. Nothing connects the American given name to the French surname beyond the coincidence of sound and the fame of one bearer.
Pronouncing Delon
duh-LON
Two syllables, stress on the second. Some families say DEE-lon with the weight at the front. French Delon is duh-LOHN with a nasal ending.
Nicknames for Delon
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1932
- Most boys named
- 199340 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1586reached in 1973
- Change vs 2023
- +112.5%17 in 2025, from 8
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Delon in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Delon in French — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: Michigan.
Delons among us
people named Delon are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 100,475 born in 2025 was named Delon
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Darrold test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Delon's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Darrold climbed just as high around 1933, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Darrold's path sketches the road Delon is walking now.
Delon sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Delon beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Delon in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- Del and Lon are both ready-made short forms with real histories.
- Two syllables and five letters keep it compact.
- Everyone can say it after one hearing.
- There is no established meaning behind it.
- The De- prefix dates it closely to the 1960s and 1970s.
- Delon, Delonn and Dellon are all in the records.
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What they receive
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Delon
Masculine · #5399 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Delons are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,300 people named Delon are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Delon in 2025?
- Delon ranks #5399 among US boy names in 2025, with 17 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Delon?
- About 1 in every 100,475 US boys born in 2025 was named Delon — 17 in all.
- Will my child share the name Delon with classmates?
- Delon will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Delon
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Frazier#5399 · Franz#5399 · Demetrio#5399 · Rolan#5399 · Rayvon#5399 · Riddick#5399 · Laramie#5399 · Soloman#5399
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Delon? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Delon and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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