Delia

Recorded in various spellings as shown below, this appears to be a French or Biblical surname, but is more probably Olde English. A study of known recordings as shown for instance in the International Genealogical Index, suggests that it is residential and a name given to someone who lived in a dell or small valley. The derivation appears to be from the pre 7th Century word "dell", also found in placenames such as Arundel in the county of Sussex. This has the interesting translation of "hoar hound valley". Residential or topographical names were among the earliest created, as both natural and man-made features in the landscape provided easily recognisable (sur)names in the small communities of the past. The modern surname includes Dela, Dell, Delle, Della, Dellah, Delia, Dellar and Deller. Recordings from surviving church registers include the marriage of Robert Deller and Susan Sade at Binfield, Berkshire, on June 12th 1598; the christening of John Della, on September 4th 1660 at Hornchurch, Essex, and the marriage of Frederick Delia and Mary Woolridge at St John the Baptist, Notting Hill, London, on June 19th 1865 The coat of arms most associated with the name has the blazon of a silver shield charged with a lion rampant black, debruised by a saltire red. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ralph Dellere, and dated 1275, in the Hundred Rolls oof landowners of Norfolk, during the reign of King Edward 1st, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.