Girls' name · since 1920
Darnella
Darnella has 731 recorded births since 1920 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1961 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #9,267 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 731
- born since 1920
- 1960s
- peak decade
731 girls have been named Darnella since 1920, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Darnella has 731 recorded births among girls since 1920, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, 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 1920 to 1996.
- #9,267 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 731 born since 1920
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Darnella ranks #9,267 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 731 born since 1920, peaking in the 1960s.
- #9,267 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 731
- born since 1920
- 1960s
- peak decade
Darnella's 731 recorded births place it above 87.18% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by Illinois.
Darnella's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Darnella's full recorded timeline at 1963, 50% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 50% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1923, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1961 peak of 26 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Darnella popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1920–1996
- Peak year (1961)
- 26
- Annual births at peak, across 77 years of records
Darnella by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (185 births, 25% of the file).
1960s was Darnella's strongest decade.
185 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Darnella births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 51
1920s
51 births
- 1930s 17
1930s
17 births
- 1940s
1940s
79 births
- 1950s
1950s
157 births
- 1960s
1960s
185 births
- 1970s
1970s
111 births
- 1980s
1980s
86 births
- 1990s 45
1990s
45 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 185 births (25% of all-time use).
How Darnella 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 Darnella's total volume
Darnella by state
Where Darnella concentrates geographically, total births since 1920
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 20 | 2.7% |
| #2 | Oklahoma | | 6 | 0.8% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.7% |
20 of 731 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Darnella? ▼
Where does Darnella sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Darnella most popular? ▼
Where is Darnella most popular? ▼
How long has the name Darnella been used? ▼
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What to do with Darnella's data
- Darnella's decade-level peak was the 1960s (185 total births); usage has since declined to 45 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Darnellas (20 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Darnella
Nearby Names Like Darnella
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Darnella
Compare Darnella side by side: Darnella vs Darlene Darnella vs Darla Darnella vs Darcy
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Darnella: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1961)
Similar record span (~76 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, 1920–1996 (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 Darnella 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.