Total births
43,667
Girls' name · since 1924
Darla
Darla has 43,667 recorded births since 1924 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1963 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1026
- among girls today
- 43,667
- born since 1924
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Darla is the #1026 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 43,667 recorded since 1924.
Darla has 43,667 recorded births among girls since 1924, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1026 as of the latest data, more common than 94% of girls, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1924 to 2025.
- #1026 among girls today
- 43,667 born since 1924
- 1960s peak decade
- 94% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Darla is currently the #1026 girls' name in America, more common than 94% of girls - 43,667 born since 1924, peaking in the 1960s.
- #1026
- among girls today
- 43,667
- born since 1924
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
Darla vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1026
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 94% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Darla was born in this single decade.
1963
Single peak year
2,391 babies were named Darla in 1963 - its busiest year on record.
How Darla compares
43,667 Top 4% higher than 96% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Darla's all-time total is 114x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Darla | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 43,667 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 2,391 | 48 | 19,840 |
Darla's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Darla's SSA record in two at 1976 and the more recent half accounts for 19% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 81%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1924, with only 7 births recorded -- set against the 1963 peak of 2,391, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Darla at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1963
Current rank
#1,026
Active since
1924
Darla popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1924–2025
- Peak year (1963)
- 2,391
- Annual births at peak, across 102 years of records
Darla popularity over time - boys
27 total births recorded since 1959 (Darla as boys' name)
Darla by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Darla's strongest decade.
16,340 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Darla births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 33
1920s
33 births
- 1930s 1,206
1930s
1,206 births
- 1940s 4,229
1940s
4,229 births
- 1950s
1950s
9,599 births
- 1960s
1960s
16,340 births
- 1970s 5,382
1970s
5,382 births
- 1980s 1,996
1980s
1,996 births
- 1990s 968
1990s
968 births
- 2000s 1,059
2000s
1,059 births
- 2010s 1,588
2010s
1,588 births
- 2020s 1,267
2020s
1,267 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 16,340 births (37% of all-time use).
How Darla compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Darla's total volume
Darla vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Darla by state
Where Darla concentrates geographically, total births since 1924
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 4,919 | 11.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 4,573 | 10.5% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 3,112 | 7.1% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 2,960 | 6.8% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 1,894 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Oklahoma | | 1,837 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Indiana | | 1,773 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 1,401 | 3.2% |
California share of Darla's total US births 11.3%
Even split
4,919 of 43,667 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Darla appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Darla? ▼
43,667 babies have been named Darla since 1924. It currently ranks #1026 among girls. The peak year was 1963 with 2,391 births.
When was Darla most popular? ▼
Darla was most popular in the 1960s decade with 16,340 total births. The single peak year was 1963.
Where is Darla most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Darla are California (4,919 births), Texas (4,573 births), Ohio (3,112 births).
How long has the name Darla been used? ▼
Darla has been recorded in Social Security data since 1924, spanning 102 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Darla? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Darlene, Darcy, Dara, Daria, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Darla's data
- Darla's decade-level peak was the 1960s (16,340 total births); usage has since declined to 1,267 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Darlas (4,919 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 Darla
Nearby Names Like Darla
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Darla
Darlene Girl
#1779 204,942 births
Darcy Girl
#978 23,418 births
Dara Girl
#1035 13,692 births
Daria Girl
#1955 9,063 births
Darby Girl
#3139 8,338 births
Compare Darla side by side: Darla vs Darlene Darla vs Darcy Darla vs Dara
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Darla
Ellen #1025
275,284 births · Peak 1951
Winifred #1027
45,094 births · Peak 1918
Ashlynn #1024
25,834 births · Peak 2010
Evelina #1028
6,365 births · Peak 2025
Artemis #1023
3,299 births · Peak 2021
Roselyn #1029
14,556 births · Peak 2018
Vida #1022
12,435 births · Peak 2022
Sapphire #1030
5,048 births · Peak 2022
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, 1924–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Darla: #1026 Girls' Name - 43,667 Births, Peak 1963." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/darla. 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 Darla 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.