Boy · #1,908 in 2026

Darryl

Darryl is a given name, a variant spelling of Darell. Variations of this name include: Daryl, Daryll, Darryll, and Darrel.

  • English
  • African American
Current Rank
#1,908
Peak Rank
#68 (1961)
Total Babies
92K
5-Yr Trend
-27%
1936
First Year
2011
Last Year
1963
Peak Year
#1672
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
64
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Darryl

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

Darryl is a given name, a variant spelling of Darell. Variations of this name include: Daryl, Daryll, Darryll, and Darrel.

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
  • African American

The Story of Darryl

Darryl first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1913, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1961, when 5,133 Darryls were born — ranking #80 that year. As of 2026, Darryl ranks #1,908 for baby boys with 84 births, falling sharply (-27%). In total, more than 92K Darryls have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s 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

Variants & Related Forms of Darryl

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Darryl. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Darryl

Phonetically similar names — useful when Darryl 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 Darryl

What does the name Darryl mean?
Darryl is a given name, a variant spelling of Darell. Variations of this name include: Daryl, Daryll, Darryll, and Darrel.
What is the origin of the name Darryl?
Darryl has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, African American.
How popular is Darryl in 2026?
In 2026, Darryl ranks #1,908 among boys' names in the U.S., with 84 babies given the name that year.
When was Darryl most popular?
Darryl reached its peak popularity in 1961, ranking #68 that year with 5,133 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Darryl most popular?
Darryl has historically been most popular in District of Columbia, Hawaii, Alabama. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Darryl.
Is Darryl a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Darryl is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Darryl?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Darryl include Jimmie, Dominic, Xavier. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Darryl?
Common variants and related forms of Darryl include Darell, Dariel, Darrel, Darrell, Daryl, Derryl. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Darryl

Darryl is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1913 and has accumulated 92K births in the dataset. Darryl's peak popularity came in 1961 when it ranked #68. Use the chart and map above to compare Darryl'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.