Boy · #8,823 in 2026

Darnel

Name: Popularity of the name Darnel in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Darnel, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Lolium temulentum, typically known as darnel, poison darnel, darnel ryegrass or cockle, is an annual plant of the genus Lolium within the family Poaceae. The plant stem can grow up to one meter tall, with inflorescence in the ears and purple grain. It has a cosmopolitan distribution.

Current Rank

#8,823

Peak Rank

#1,725 (1986)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1957

First Year

1970

Last Year

1963

Peak Year

#4273

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Darnel

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Darnel

Darnel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1937, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1986, when 36 Darnels were born — ranking #1,725 that year. As of 2026, Darnel ranks #8,823 for baby boys with 8 births, with steady use. In total, more than 1K Darnels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Darnel

Phonetically similar names — useful when Darnel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Darnall
Darnell
Diurnal
Tarnal
Doornail
Donal
Donell
Dharna
Darning
Donnell
Durrell
Dowral

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Darnel

What does the name Darnel mean?

How popular is Darnel in 2026?

In 2026, Darnel ranks #8,823 among boys' names in the U.S., with 8 babies given the name that year.

When was Darnel most popular?

Darnel reached its peak popularity in 1986, ranking #1,725 that year with 36 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Darnel most popular?

Darnel has historically been most popular in New York, Florida, California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Darnel.

Is Darnel a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Darnel is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Darnel?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Darnel include Rolfe, Karlton, Clancy. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Darnel

Darnel is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1937 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Darnel's peak popularity came in 1986 when it ranked #1,725. Use the chart and map above to compare Darnel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.