How Many People Are Named Darnell?
people named Darnell are alive in the United States today (estimate)
About 1 in 12,651 people in the US has this name
Based on 31,018 babies named Darnell in Social Security records from 1912 to 2025, and the share of each birth year still alive in 2025.
Popularity Rank
💎 Rare
Peak Year
770 births
Trend
Stable (last 10 years)
📖 Name Origin & Meaning
Meaning:
From a surname, possibly derived from Old French darnel, a type of grass. Alternatively it may be derived from Old English derne "hidden" and halh "nook".
Source of the meaning, origin, pronunciation and related names: Behind the Name.
⚧ Gender Distribution
Of the babies given the name Darnell, 6.9% were girls and 93.1% were boys. The share of girls among babies named Darnell fell from 26.2% in the 1920s to 0% in the 2020s. It was highest in the 1940s, at 39.7%.
👥 Age Distribution
The average person named Darnell alive today is about 42 years old, and 57% are between 30 and 59. Half of them were between 30 and 55 in 2025.
📈 Popularity Over Time
Darnell first appears in the records in 1912 and was given most often in 1984, to 770 babies. In 2025, 56 babies got the name.
Babies given the name each year, 1912 to 2025
🏆 Rank History
Darnell has never been one of the 100 most popular boys' names. Its best rank was #281, in 1984. In 2025 it ranked #2,423.
| Boys | |
|---|---|
| Rank in 2025 | #2,423 |
| Best rank | #281 (1984) |
| Years in the top 100 | None |
| Rank in its biggest decade | #325 in the 1980s |
📍 State-Wise Distribution
People named Darnell alive today, by the state where they were born (estimate; state records start in 1910).
More people named Darnell were born in Illinois than in any other state: about 2,585 of those alive today. Compared with the national rate in the same years, Darnell was given 5.9 times as often in District of Columbia, 2.7 times in Maryland and 2.6 times in Louisiana.
Look up another name
⊙ We don't save the names you search.