Where does “Dolph” come from?

Dolph (English) comes from English delve, from Middle English delve, from Old English delfan, from Proto-West Germanic delban, from Proto-Germanic delbaną, from Proto-Indo-European dʰelbʰ- — to dig, excavate.

Ancestry of “Dolph”, step by step

Dolph traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English delve

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdelveTo dig the ground, especially with a shovel; To...
2Middle EnglishdelveAlternative form of delven; Alternative form of...
3Old Englishdelfanto dig; to dig up, excavate
4Proto-West Germanicdelbanto dig
5Proto-Germanicdelbanąto dig, hollow out
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰelbʰ-to dig, excavate

via Middle English delf

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishdelfA quarry; A man-made channel or stream; a...
2Old Englishdelfdigging, excavation; that which is dug: trench,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰelbʰ-Every word from Proto-Germanic delbanąEvery word from Proto-West Germanic delban