Total births
29,769
Boys' name · since 1900
Darrel
29,769 babies named Darrel in U.S. Social Security records since 1900, with the highest year being 1960. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #5254
- among boys today
- 29,769
- born since 1900
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
Darrel currently ranks #5254 among boys' names in America, with 29,769 babies recorded since 1900.
Social Security Administration records show Darrel recorded 29,769 times among boys since 1900, holding rank #5254 nationally today, ahead of 63% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1900 to 2025.
- #5254 among boys today
- 29,769 born since 1900
- 1950s peak decade
- 63% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Darrel is currently the #5254 boys' name in America, more common than 63% of boys - 29,769 born since 1900, peaking in the 1950s.
- #5254
- among boys today
- 29,769
- born since 1900
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
Darrel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5254
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 63% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Darrel was born in this single decade.
1960
Single peak year
659 babies were named Darrel in 1960 - its busiest year on record.
How Darrel compares
29,769 Top 5% higher than 95% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Darrel's all-time total is 81x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Darrel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 29,769 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 659 | 23 | 22,252 |
Darrel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Darrel splits its recorded history at 1964: 32% of all births land in the more recent half, 68% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1901 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1960 peak of 659 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Darrel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1960
Current rank
#5,254
Active since
1900
Darrel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1900–2025
- Peak year (1960)
- 659
- Annual births at peak, across 126 years of records
Darrel popularity over time - girls
123 total births recorded since 1929 (Darrel as girls' name)
Darrel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Darrel's strongest decade.
6,035 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Darrel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 63
1900s
63 births
- 1910s 612
1910s
612 births
- 1920s 1,898
1920s
1,898 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,734 births
- 1940s
1940s
5,275 births
- 1950s
1950s
6,035 births
- 1960s
1960s
5,499 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,658 births
- 1980s 1,862
1980s
1,862 births
- 1990s 1,136
1990s
1,136 births
- 2000s 538
2000s
538 births
- 2010s 328
2010s
328 births
- 2020s 131
2020s
131 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 6,035 births (20% of all-time use).
How Darrel 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 Darrel's total volume
Darrel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Darrel by state
Where Darrel concentrates geographically, total births since 1900
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,291 | 7.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,463 | 4.9% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 1,353 | 4.5% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 1,247 | 4.2% |
| #5 | Minnesota | | 1,198 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Kansas | | 1,179 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Missouri | | 1,146 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 1,028 | 3.5% |
California share of Darrel's total US births 7.7%
Even split
2,291 of 29,769 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 46 reporting states.
Darrel appears in 46 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Darrel? ▼
Since 1900, Social Security records show 29,769 babies named Darrel. Today it holds rank #5254 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1960, with 659 births.
When was Darrel most popular? ▼
Darrel was most popular in the 1950s decade with 6,035 total births. The single peak year was 1960.
Where is Darrel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Darrel are California (2,291 births), Texas (1,463 births), Illinois (1,353 births).
How long has the name Darrel been used? ▼
Records for Darrel go back to 1900, giving 126 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Darrel? ▼
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 Darrel's data
- Darrel's decade-level peak was the 1950s (6,035 total births); usage has since declined to 131 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Darrels (2,291 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 Darrel
Nearby Names Like Darrel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Darrel
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 Darrel side by side: Darrel vs Darrell Darrel vs Darren Darrel vs Darryl
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Darrel
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, 1900–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Darrel: #5254 Boys' Name - 29,769 Births, Peak 1960." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/darrel. 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 Darrel 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.