Girls' name · since 1896
Darlene
Since 1896, U.S. Social Security records show 204,942 babies named Darlene, peaking in 1958. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #199 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #1,845 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 204,942
- born since 1896
- 1950s
- peak decade
204,942 babies have been named Darlene since 1896, making it today's #1845 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Darlene has been recorded 204,942 times among girls since 1896, currently ranked #1845 nationally and more common than 89% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1896 to 2025.
- #199 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #1,845 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 204,942 born since 1896
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Darlene ranks #199 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,845 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 204,942 born since 1896, peaking in the 1950s.
- #199 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #1,845 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 204,942
- born since 1896
- 1950s
- peak decade
Darlene's 204,942 recorded births place it above 99.72% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Darlene compares
204,942 Top 2% higher than 98% of 17,297 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
Darlene's all-time total is 545x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Darlene | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 204,942 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 8,278 | 21 | 19,840 |
Darlene's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Darlene splits its recorded history at 1962: 28% of all births land in the more recent half, 72% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1896 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1958 peak of 8,278 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Darlene popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1896–2025
- Peak year (1958)
- 8,278
- Annual births at peak, across 130 years of records
Darlene popularity over time - boys
604 total births recorded since 1927 (Darlene as boys' name)
Darlene by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (61,886 births, 30% of the file).
1950s was Darlene's strongest decade.
61,886 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Darlene births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 11
1890s
11 births
- 1900s 92
1900s
92 births
- 1910s 1,000
1910s
1,000 births
- 1920s 7,426
1920s
7,426 births
- 1930s
1930s
25,956 births
- 1940s
1940s
40,321 births
- 1950s
1950s
61,886 births
- 1960s
1960s
43,527 births
- 1970s 11,484
1970s
11,484 births
- 1980s 5,184
1980s
5,184 births
- 1990s 3,348
1990s
3,348 births
- 2000s 2,372
2000s
2,372 births
- 2010s 1,685
2010s
1,685 births
- 2020s 650
2020s
650 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 61,886 births (30% of all-time use).
How Darlene 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 Darlene's total volume
Darlene by state
Where Darlene concentrates geographically, total births since 1896
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 18,933 | 9.2% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 15,373 | 7.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 14,190 | 6.9% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 12,964 | 6.3% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 12,615 | 6.2% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 10,775 | 5.3% |
| #7 | Texas | | 7,424 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 7,024 | 3.4% |
18,933 of 204,942 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Darlene appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Darlene? ▼
Where does Darlene sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Darlene most popular? ▼
Where is Darlene most popular? ▼
How long has the name Darlene been used? ▼
What names are similar to Darlene? ▼
What to do with Darlene's data
- Darlene's decade-level peak was the 1950s (61,886 total births); usage has since declined to 650 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Darlenes (18,933 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Darlene
Nearby Names Like Darlene
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Darlene
Compare Darlene side by side: Darlene vs Darla Darlene vs Darcy Darlene vs Dara
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Darlene
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Darlene: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1958)
Similar record span (~129 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1896–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Darlene 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 August 2026.