Total births
367
Unisex name · since 1963
Darnelle
367 babies named Darnelle in U.S. Social Security records since 1963, with the highest year being 1984. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 367
- total births
- 1963–2025
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 39%
- born in that decade
Darnelle sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 367 recorded since 1963.
Social Security Administration records show Darnelle recorded 367 times among boys since 1963, 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 1963 to 2025.
- 367 total births
- 1963–2025 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 39% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
367 boys have been named Darnelle since 1963, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 2025.
- 367
- total births
- 1963–2025
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 39%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
39% of everyone ever named Darnelle was born in this single decade.
1984
Single peak year
20 babies were named Darnelle in 1984 - its busiest year on record.
Darnelle's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Darnelle's full recorded timeline at 1991, 43% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 57% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1963, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1984 peak of 20 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Darnelle at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1984
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1963
Darnelle popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1963–2025
- Peak year (1984)
- 20
- Annual births at peak, across 63 years of records
Darnelle popularity over time - girls
249 total births recorded since 1943 (Darnelle as girls' name)
Darnelle by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Darnelle's strongest decade.
142 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.
Darnelle births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 11
1960s
11 births
- 1970s 39
1970s
39 births
- 1980s
1980s
142 births
- 1990s
1990s
103 births
- 2000s 55
2000s
55 births
- 2010s 7
2010s
7 births
- 2020s 10
2020s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 142 births (39% of all-time use).
Darnelle by state
Where Darnelle concentrates geographically, total births since 1963
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 10 | 2.7% |
New York share of Darnelle's total US births 2.7%
10 of 367 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Darnelle? ▼
Darnelle has been given to 367 babies in the U.S. since 1963, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2025. 20 babies were born in 1984, its single highest year.
When was Darnelle most popular? ▼
Darnelle was most popular in the 1980s decade with 142 total births. The single peak year was 1984.
Where is Darnelle most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Darnelle are New York (10 births).
Is Darnelle a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Darnelle is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 367 births, and as a girl's name it has 249 births.
How long has the name Darnelle been used? ▼
Darnelle has been recorded in Social Security data since 1963, spanning 63 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Darnelle? ▼
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 Darnelle's data
- Darnelle's decade-level peak was the 1980s (142 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Darnelles (10 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Darnelle
Nearby Names Like Darnelle
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Darnelle
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 Darnelle side by side: Darnelle vs Darrell Darnelle vs Darren Darnelle vs Darryl
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1963–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Darnelle: Baby Name Since 1963 - 367 Births, Peak 1984." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/darnelle. 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 Darnelle 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.