Anyone else watching this season of American Horror Story? I'm loving the witchy New Orleans crew, and I'm intrigued by the fact that they actually based one of the characters on a real-life person. Delphine Lalaurie, played by Kathy Bates, was an actual woman who lived in 19th century New Orleans, and severely abused her slaves (though it's unlikely she turned any into a minotaur, as is alleged in American Horror Story).
She may not be anything close to a role model, but perhaps Madame Lalaurie, as she was known, will help bring the name Delphine back into the spotlight. Delphine is a French name, and it's associated with either the flower delphinium or with dolphins, depending on who you ask. It's pretty popular with authors, and has been used by characters in several novels. It peaked as a top 400 baby name back in the 1930s, and hasn't been in the top 1000 names since the 1960s. But it's a beautiful name, and it's a nice alternative to some chart toppers, including Chloe, Josephine and Lillian.
Delphine can be matched up with lovely middle names—I'd pair it with Rose, Juliet, Eleanor, or Victoria.
What do you think of Delphine? Do you think it makes a fresher addition to the "ine" names currently on the rise? Or is it too fancy-French for your taste? If you're still looking for a great baby name, don't forget to check out our baby naming tool to help you find the perfect name.