Boy · #5,640 in 2026

Darrel

Darrel is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Darrel Akerfelds (1962–2012), American baseball pitcher and bullpen coach Darrel Anholt, Canadian ice hockey defenceman Darrel Aschbacher, American football player Darrel Aubertine, American politician in the New York State Senate Darrel Baldock (1938–2011), Australian rules football player and coach Darrel Brown, sprinter from Trinidad…

Current Rank
#5,640
Peak Rank
#242 (1960)
Total Babies
30K
5-Yr Trend
-34%
1929
First Year
1974
Last Year
1954
Peak Year
#4277
Peak Rank
122
Total Count
21
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Darrel

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

Darrel is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Darrel Akerfelds (1962–2012), American baseball pitcher and bullpen coach Darrel Anholt, Canadian ice hockey defenceman Darrel Aschbacher, American football player Darrel Aubertine, American politician in the New York State Senate Darrel Baldock (1938–2011), Australian rules football player and coach Darrel Brown, sprinter from Trinidad…

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

The Story of Darrel

Darrel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1900, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1960, when 659 Darrels were born — ranking #302 that year. As of 2026, Darrel ranks #5,640 for baby boys with 16 births, falling sharply (-34%). In total, more than 30K Darrels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Darrel

Phonetically similar names — useful when Darrel 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 Darrel

What does the name Darrel mean?
Darrel is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Darrel Akerfelds (1962–2012), American baseball pitcher and bullpen coach Darrel Anholt, Canadian ice hockey defenceman Darrel Aschbacher, American football player Darrel Aubertine, American politician in the New York State Senate Darrel Baldock (1938–2011), Australian rules football player and coach Darrel Brown, sprinter from Trinidad…
How popular is Darrel in 2026?
In 2026, Darrel ranks #5,640 among boys' names in the U.S., with 16 babies given the name that year.
When was Darrel most popular?
Darrel reached its peak popularity in 1960, ranking #242 that year with 659 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Darrel most popular?
Darrel has historically been most popular in South Dakota, Wyoming, North Dakota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Darrel.
Is Darrel a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Darrel is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Darrel?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Darrel include Rodger, Brennan, Muhammad. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Darrel

Darrel is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1900 and has accumulated 30K births in the dataset. Darrel's peak popularity came in 1960 when it ranked #242. Use the chart and map above to compare Darrel'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.