Demelza

de-MEL-za
Cornish
"eel house or Maeldaf's fort"

Demelza Origin and Meaning

The name Demelza is a girl's name of Cornish origin meaning "eel house or Maeldaf's fort".

A punchy modern Cornish name derived from a place name, which is of disputed origin. It is sometimes said to derive from a rare Welsh name, Maeldaf, plus dinas, the Cornish for "fort". Another theory is that it comes from Cornish ty "house" plus malsai "eel" – likely a reference to Cornwall's fishing trade.

The given name began to be used in the UK in the 1950s thanks to the serialization on British TV of Graham's novels, whose heroine was named Demelza. In the series, her name is said to mean "thy sweetness", which could be an alternative – if unlikely to be etymologically accurate – meaning for parents who are put off by the eel connection.

# 1300 on Nameberry

Demelza Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Demelza Popularity

Famous People Named Demelza

  • Demelza McCloud
    Australian netball player
  • Demelza Reveley
    Australian model
  • Demelza Eira Day
    daughter of English model Amy Willerton.

Demelza in Pop Culture

  • Demelza Poldark nee Carne
    main character in Winston Graham's "Poldark" series
  • Demelza Robins
    minor character in the "Harry Potter" series
  • Demelza Heap
    character in Angie Sage's "Queste," of the Septimus Heap series
  • Demelza
    character in Barbara Cartland's book "The Ghost who Fell in Love"