US Popularity Rank: 4720

Origin: French

Meaning: From the alder grove

Delany is a gender-neutral name of French origin and a sure favorite amongst all tree-huggers and friends of the earth. Taken from the Old French term del aunaie, which signifies something or someone “from the alder grove,” the name Delany sings the sweet praises of another of Mother Nature’s wonderful works: the alder tree. In Celtic folklore, alder trees were said to hold a humanlike spirit and an ethereal divinity due to the bold change of color—from a white pale to a blood red—that occurs when its trunk is cut. Rekindling the connection between the natural world and humankind, Delany is a sweet-sounding reminder to all to be one with the earth and to nurture it as it nurtures us.