Demelza
de-MEL-za
Cornish
"eel house or Maeldaf's fort"Share
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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.
- Demelza Rank in Nameberry Top 1000
- Names Similar to Demelza
- Famous People Named Demelza
- Demelza in Pop Culture
# 1544 on Nameberry
Demelza Rank in Nameberry Top 1000
Demelza Popularity
- 1544Nameberry2024
20 Names Similar to Demelza
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Famous People Named Demelza
- Demelza McCloudAustralian netball player
- Demelza ReveleyAustralian model
- Demelza Eira Daydaughter of English model Amy Willerton.
Demelza in Pop Culture
- Demelza Poldark nee Carnemain character in Winston Graham's "Poldark" series
- Demelza Robinsminor character in the "Harry Potter" series
- Demelza Heapcharacter in Angie Sage's "Queste," of the Septimus Heap series
- Demelzacharacter in Barbara Cartland's book "The Ghost who Fell in Love"