Boys' name · since 1937
Darnel
1,006 babies named Darnel in U.S. Social Security records since 1937, with the highest year being 1986. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #5,122 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,006
- born since 1937
- 1980s
- peak decade
Darnel is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 1,006 have been recorded since 1937.
Social Security Administration records show Darnel recorded 1,006 times among boys since 1937, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1937 to 2021.
- #5,122 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 1,006 born since 1937
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Darnel ranks #5,122 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,006 born since 1937, peaking in the 1980s.
- #5,122 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,006
- born since 1937
- 1980s
- peak decade
Darnel's 1,006 recorded births place it above 88.73% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by New York.
Darnel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Darnel's full recorded timeline at 1983, 57% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 43% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1941, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1986 peak of 36 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Darnel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1937–2021
- Peak year (1986)
- 36
- Annual births at peak, across 85 years of records
Darnel popularity over time - girls
46 total births recorded since 1957 (Darnel as girls' name)
Darnel by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (218 births, 22% of the file).
1980s was Darnel's strongest decade.
218 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Darnel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 7
1930s
7 births
- 1940s 12
1940s
12 births
- 1950s 46
1950s
46 births
- 1960s
1960s
133 births
- 1970s
1970s
175 births
- 1980s
1980s
218 births
- 1990s
1990s
218 births
- 2000s
2000s
141 births
- 2010s 48
2010s
48 births
- 2020s 8
2020s
8 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 218 births (22% of all-time use).
How Darnel 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 Darnel's total volume
Darnel by state
Where Darnel concentrates geographically, total births since 1937
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 115 | 11.4% |
| #2 | Florida | | 11 | 1.1% |
| #3 | California | | 5 | 0.5% |
115 of 1,006 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Darnel? ▼
Where does Darnel sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Darnel most popular? ▼
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How long has the name Darnel been used? ▼
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What to do with Darnel's data
- Darnel's decade-level peak was the 1980s (218 total births); usage has since declined to 8 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Darnels (115 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Darnel
Nearby Names Like Darnel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Darnel
Compare Darnel side by side: Darnel vs Darrell Darnel vs Darren Darnel vs Darryl
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Darnel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1986)
Similar record span (~84 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, 1937–2021 (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 Darnel 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.