Total births
10,977
Unisex name · since 1949
Darien
Darien has 10,977 recorded births since 1949 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1994 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1251
- among boys today
- 10,977
- born since 1949
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Darien is the #1251 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 10,977 recorded since 1949.
Darien has 10,977 recorded births among boys since 1949, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1251 as of the latest data, more common than 91% of boys, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1949 to 2025.
- #1251 among boys today
- 10,977 born since 1949
- 1990s peak decade
- 91% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Darien is currently the #1251 unisex name in America, more common than 91% of boys - 10,977 born since 1949, peaking in the 1990s.
- #1251
- among boys today
- 10,977
- born since 1949
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
Darien vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1251
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 91% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Darien was born in this single decade.
1994
Single peak year
607 babies were named Darien in 1994 - its busiest year on record.
How Darien compares
10,977 Top 8% higher than 92% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Darien's all-time total is 30x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Darien | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,977 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 607 | 23 | 22,252 |
Darien's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Darien splits its recorded history at 1990: 84% of all births land in the more recent half, 16% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1949 (7 births) -- compare that against the 1994 peak of 607 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Darien at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1994
Current rank
#1,251
Active since
1949
Darien popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1949–2025
- Peak year (1994)
- 607
- Annual births at peak, across 77 years of records
Darien popularity over time - girls
1,849 total births recorded since 1937 (Darien as girls' name)
Darien by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Darien's strongest decade.
3,583 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Darien births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 7
1940s
7 births
- 1950s 46
1950s
46 births
- 1960s 524
1960s
524 births
- 1970s 511
1970s
511 births
- 1980s 701
1980s
701 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,583 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,888 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,916 births
- 2020s 801
2020s
801 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 3,583 births (33% of all-time use).
How Darien compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Darien's total volume
Darien vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Darien by state
Where Darien concentrates geographically, total births since 1949
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,015 | 9.2% |
| #2 | New York | | 959 | 8.7% |
| #3 | Texas | | 874 | 8.0% |
| #4 | Florida | | 703 | 6.4% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 512 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 452 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 385 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 313 | 2.9% |
California share of Darien's total US births 9.2%
Even split
1,015 of 10,977 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 37 reporting states.
Darien appears in 37 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Darien? ▼
10,977 babies have been named Darien since 1949. It currently ranks #1251 among boys. The peak year was 1994 with 607 births.
When was Darien most popular? ▼
Darien was most popular in the 1990s decade with 3,583 total births. The single peak year was 1994.
Where is Darien most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Darien are California (1,015 births), New York (959 births), Texas (874 births).
Is Darien a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Darien is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 10,977 births, and as a girl's name it has 1,849 births.
How long has the name Darien been used? ▼
Records for Darien go back to 1949, giving 77 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Darien? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Darrell, Darren, Darryl, Daryl, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Darien's data
- Darien's decade-level peak was the 1990s (3,583 total births); usage has since declined to 801 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Dariens (1,015 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Darien
Nearby Names Like Darien
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Darien
Darrell Boy
#1460 159,766 births
Darren Boy
#954 103,937 births
Darryl Boy
#1798 92,285 births
Daryl Boy
#2001 63,058 births
Darius Boy
#746 54,006 births
Compare Darien side by side: Darien vs Darrell Darien vs Darren Darien vs Darryl
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Darien
Amado #1250
4,769 births · Peak 2025
Eliyahu #1252
3,661 births · Peak 2025
Riot #1249
1,295 births · Peak 2024
Giovani #1253
7,616 births · Peak 2011
Zyan #1248
1,749 births · Peak 2024
Gianluca #1254
3,915 births · Peak 2017
Benaiah #1247
2,416 births · Peak 2025
Ilyas #1255
2,196 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1949–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Darien: #1251 Unisex Name - 10,977 Births, Peak 1994." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/darien. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Darien draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.