indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Gender Feminine
Usage Baltic Mythology, Latvian (Rare)
Other Forms FormsDēkle, Dēkliņa, Dēklīte, Dēkļa (mythological variants)
Meaning & History
Dēkla is a Latvian goddess of fate and the sister of the goddesses Laima and Kārta. In old Latvian folk songs Laima and Dēkla are often considered one and the same goddess and their names are used interchangeably. Occasionally, however, the three sisters are ascribed their own, separate functions: Kārta holds power over the adult's life, Laima is concerned with mothers and childbirth and Dēkla is in charge of children.
While the original meaning of the name is lost to time, folk etymology, along with earlier studies, often considers Dēkla a Latvian variant of Tekla, no doubt thanks to their phonetic similarity.
While the original meaning of the name is lost to time, folk etymology, along with earlier studies, often considers Dēkla a Latvian variant of Tekla, no doubt thanks to their phonetic similarity.