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.

Demelza Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 1275 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Demelza

• 1275 Nameberry 2025

20 Names Similar to Demelza

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Famous People Named Demelza

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

The name 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"