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At a Glance: Name: Dahlia – Meaning: named for botanist Anders Dahl – Origin: Swedish (via surname Dahl) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: DAHL-yah
Dahlia is pronounced DAHL-yah, and it comes from Sweden by way of the surname Dahl. You may have heard it explained as meaning "hanging branch," but that meaning actually belongs to a different name, Dalia — Dahlia instead honors the botanist Anders Dahl, for whom the flower was named, and whose own surname simply meant someone who lived in a valley.
Meaning & Origin of Dahlia
Meaning: Named for botanist anders dahl.
Origin: Swedish (via surname Dahl).
A common claim: Dahlia is sometimes said to mean 'hanging branch.' Actually: That meaning belongs to the distinct Hebrew name Dalia, not Dahlia. Dahlia is named after the flower, which honors botanist Anders Dahl, whose surname means someone who lived in a valley.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Dahlia
Phonetic: DAHL-yah IPA: /ˈdɑːljə/
Popularity of Dahlia
Dahlia ranked #240 among U.S. baby girls in 2024, given to 1,300 babies — its highest point on record since the Social Security Administration's data begins in 1890.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1890–2024.
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Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Dahlia mean?
Named for botanist anders dahl. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Dahlia)
How do you pronounce Dahlia?
Dahlia is pronounced DAHL-yah (IPA: /ˈdɑːljə/).
Is Dahlia a popular name right now?
Dahlia is at its highest recorded popularity right now, ranked #240 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1890–2024.)
📊 How popular is Dahlia? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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