Darnelle
Darnell is a masculine given name and a surname. Variants include Darnelle and Durnell.
Meaning & Origin of Darnelle
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 Darnelle
As a girl name
Darnelle first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1943, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1969, when 14 Darnelles were born — ranking #3,773 that year. As of 2026, Darnelle ranks #13,724 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 249 Darnelles have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Darnelle first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1963, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1984, when 20 Darnelles were born — ranking #2,437 that year. As of 2026, Darnelle ranks #12,323 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 362 Darnelles have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Darnelle
Phonetically similar names — useful when Darnelle 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 Darnelle
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In which U.S. states is Darnelle most popular?
Is Darnelle a unisex name?
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About the name Darnelle
Darnelle is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1963 and has accumulated 362 births in the dataset. Darnelle's peak popularity came in 1984 when it ranked #2,437. Use the chart and map above to compare Darnelle'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" →
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- 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.