My partner both absolutely adore the name, just the way it sounds and because the song Hey There [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] is special for us, but we’re worried about the biblical background of the name. We aren’t particularly religious, but our extended families are, and they are not fond of the idea of using the name because of the character in the bible.
What do you think? We are head over heels for the name, but if it’s going to cause any problems for her later on then we can still keep looking.
I personally don’t see it as an issue at all. [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] is a beautiful name.
Ultimately it is up to you and your partner to decide the name of your child, not your extended family. You could always let them know they could call her by a nickname (YOUR preferred nickname but I like [name_f]Delia[/name_f] and [name_f]Lilah[/name_f]) if it bothers them. If names like [name_f]Madeline[/name_f] and [name_f]Eve[/name_f] were completely tainted by their biblical predecessors, the world would not have nearly as many beautifully-named women in it.
I personally have more of an issue with the names of all the Greek/Latin goddesses who get raped all the time, but that’s as discussion for another time.
I simply don’t like the name, so it’s hard for me to assess if it’s because of the Bible story or not that it seems a floozy sort of name to me.
But then again, I dislike all the [name_f]Lula[/name_f] [name_f]Lila[/name_f] [name_f]Layla[/name_f] [name_f]Kayla[/name_f] type names.
Personally, I would not find the name offensive biblically - maybe it’s a matter of just how offensive your family would find it.
[name_u]Leslie[/name_u]
I’m religious and wouldn’t mind it. It’s your child and you decide her name, not your extended family. [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] is beautiful. 
I don’t see any issue with it. It’s a beautiful, meaningful name, so use it.
I think it’s fine. As long as you don’t live in an area where people are very religious and biblically astute, I can’t imagine there would be too many problems. Plus, [name_f]Lila[/name_f] is rather common and “Hey There [name_f]Delilah[/name_f]” was wildly popular, so I think the name isn’t seen as so tied to the bible story.
I’m a [name_m]Christian[/name_m] and it wouldn’t bother me…I rather like the name. Honestly, the same could be said for many other biblical names. [name_m]David[/name_m]? Adulterer, murderer…yet important man of faith. [name_u]Noah[/name_u]? Drunkard…yet favored. [name_f]Sarah[/name_f]? Showed a lack of faith and caused a literal rift…yet she was the blessed mother of nations. All names are popular and people, even those who are religious, don’t seem to object to them…unless they find them overused and boring. People can always look into things more than what they should. There’s nothing wrong with naming your daughter [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] and, if you truly want to use the name, I sincerely hope your family can get over their feelings about it.
I am a [name_m]Christian[/name_m], though not terribly conservative or religious, and half the time I forget there’s even a [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] in the Bible. Needless to say, she is not one of the most often talked about persons in the Bible. I asked my coworker who is conservative [name_m]Christian[/name_m] and I asked my husband who is [name_m]Christian[/name_m], but not as conservative as some of his family. He still grew up in a very [name_m]Christian[/name_m] household. My coworker didn’t even hesitate in saying no when I asked her if she thought it was unusable. [name_f]Jezebel[/name_f], on the other hand, she said would be very unusable. lol My husband said, “I don’t think so. It’s a pretty name.” Also, like @namergirl13 said, there are so many figures in the Bible who are the really important people we talk about all the time and the majority of them have a tainted past or made bad choices. [name_m]Paul[/name_m] wasn’t a great person at all when he was [name_m]Saul[/name_m], in fact he persecuted Christians, but he is one of the most talked about and respected Apostles. And [name_m]Paul[/name_m] is a very popular name, despite the Biblical person’s past.
Personally, I think [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] is a cute name and I adore the nickname [name_f]Lilah[/name_f]. [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] also sounds flowery to me since it reminds me of [name_f]Dahlia[/name_f]. I say go for it. Your family will get over it. If they don’t, they’re quite immature for adults. =]
I’m a [name_m]Christian[/name_m]. I wouldn’t think twice about using [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] if I loved it. It a lovely name.
[name_f]Delilah[/name_f] is lovely. I’d say as long as it’s not going to actively offend your family’s beliefs to use the name, you should go ahead. Grandparents are notorious for not approving of their kids’ baby name choices - times and fashions change, and that’s a great thing! Makes the world of naming much more interesting
[name_f]Delilah[/name_f] is fine. Most of the men in the Bible aren’t exactly shining stars of morality either.
I’m not even remotely religious, and never have been, so maybe I’m not the best person to ask, but I wouldn’t even notice unless someone mentioned it, so I think its perfectly usable.
I feel like most of the world has moved on from the negative association from [name_f]Delilah[/name_f], but I… can’t. I just don’t see the appeal of [name_f]Delilah[/name_f], because she was such a negative character Biblically. I grew up hearing the story and how bad [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] was, am still religious, and grew up with a [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] who is close to my grandma’s age. She said she always wondered why her parents named her that, when they knew who [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] was. Then again, she grew up in a much different age than your daughter would. I just can’t separate [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] from the negative Bible story, though–on the one hand, I get @medfordkung’s point about [name_f]Madeline[/name_f]/[name_f]Magdalena[/name_f] and [name_f]Eve[/name_f], but the Bible goes on to share their redemption, which is probably why most find them so usable. [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] never had her redemptive arc, so, to me (and maybe a lot of others?), she is still a prostitute, a spy trying to destroy God’s people, and a conniving liar. Not very appealing to me. I mean, I can see the appeal in the sound of [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] (I love [name_f]Della[/name_f] and [name_f]Lila[/name_f] so much), but the full name still confounds me.
Then again, as everyone has said, it’s your choice, not your extended family’s, and if [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] is right for you, then they’ll have to adjust to it. I agree that if they just can’t bring themselves to use [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] (and if they can’t, it seems a pretty petty thing to get religious over, if you ask me–nobody I know has boycotted using “my” [name_f]Delilah[/name_f]'s name!–but if they can’t, they can’t, I suppose), then offering them your preferred nn is a great way to go. And [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] has some lovelies–[name_f]Della[/name_f], [name_u]Del[/name_u], [name_f]Delia[/name_f], [name_f]Lila[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], etc.!
Good luck!
It’s beautiful. [name_f]Delia[/name_f], [name_f]Adelia[/name_f] and [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] are all alternatives, if you need one, but she is your daughter, and it isn’t up to the family to decide or pressurise.
I wouldn’t call it unusable but I wouldn’t use it because of the biblical connotation
I’m religious and I wouldn’t use it due to the connotations, but that is my preference. There’s nothing right or wrong in this situation - it’s just up to what you and your partner feel. A lot of people lack knowledge of those Biblical stories and probably wouldn’t notice it. For most, it’s just another name. I guess the question is, are you happy to go with what you love, even if your family doesn’t approve…