Della began as a short form of Adela and Adelaide, Germanic names built on adal, "noble", and has been used on its own since the 19th century. Singer and actress Della Reese and the character Della Street in the Perry Mason stories are its best-known American bearers. Popular around 1900, Della returned to the US top 1000 in 2018 and reaches number 563 among girls' names in 2025, its best rank in this century.