Darnell
Darnell is a masculine given name and a surname. Variants include Darnelle and Durnell.
Meaning & Origin of Darnell
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Darnell is a masculine given name and a surname. Variants include Darnelle and Durnell.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Darnell
As a girl name
Darnell first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1917, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1951, when 71 Darnells were born — ranking #1,104 that year. As of 2026, Darnell ranks #15,899 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 2K Darnells have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Darnell first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1912, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1984, when 741 Darnells were born — ranking #280 that year. As of 2026, Darnell ranks #2,367 for boys with 60 births, falling sharply (-40%). In total, more than 29K Darnells have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Darnell
Phonetically similar names — useful when Darnell is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Darnell
What does the name Darnell mean?
How popular is Darnell in 2026?
When was Darnell most popular?
In which U.S. states is Darnell most popular?
Is Darnell a unisex name?
What names go well with Darnell?
About the name Darnell
Darnell is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1912 and has accumulated 29K births in the dataset. Darnell's peak popularity came in 1984 when it ranked #280. Use the chart and map above to compare Darnell's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1984 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.