Boys' name · since 1886
Darrell
Darrell has 159,766 recorded births since 1886 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1958 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #216 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,690 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 159,766
- born since 1886
- 1960s
- peak decade
Darrell currently ranks #1690 among boys' names in America, with 159,766 babies recorded since 1886.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Darrell has been recorded 159,766 times among boys since 1886, currently ranked #1690 nationally and more common than 88% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1886 to 2025.
- #216 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,690 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 159,766 born since 1886
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Darrell ranks #216 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,690 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 159,766 born since 1886, peaking in the 1960s.
- #216 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,690 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 159,766
- born since 1886
- 1960s
- peak decade
Darrell's 159,766 recorded births place it above 99.52% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Darrell compares
159,766 Top 2% higher than 98% of 13,930 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
Darrell's all-time total is 433x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Darrell | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 159,766 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 4,771 | 34 | 22,252 |
Darrell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Darrell's SSA record in two at 1958 and the more recent half accounts for 60% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 40%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1886, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1958 peak of 4,771, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Darrell popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1886–2025
- Peak year (1958)
- 4,771
- Annual births at peak, across 140 years of records
Darrell popularity over time - girls
1,186 total births recorded since 1916 (Darrell as girls' name)
Darrell by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (38,025 births, 24% of the file).
1960s was Darrell's strongest decade.
38,025 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Darrell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 64
1890s
64 births
- 1900s 125
1900s
125 births
- 1910s 1,642
1910s
1,642 births
- 1920s 5,128
1920s
5,128 births
- 1930s 11,126
1930s
11,126 births
- 1940s
1940s
18,225 births
- 1950s
1950s
37,257 births
- 1960s
1960s
38,025 births
- 1970s
1970s
20,072 births
- 1980s 13,162
1980s
13,162 births
- 1990s 7,556
1990s
7,556 births
- 2000s 4,108
2000s
4,108 births
- 2010s 2,536
2010s
2,536 births
- 2020s 735
2020s
735 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 38,025 births (24% of all-time use).
How Darrell 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 Darrell's total volume
Darrell by state
Where Darrell concentrates geographically, total births since 1886
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 12,903 | 8.1% |
| #2 | California | | 11,324 | 7.1% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 8,115 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 7,785 | 4.9% |
| #5 | Kentucky | | 6,076 | 3.8% |
| #6 | Missouri | | 5,669 | 3.5% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 5,590 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 5,434 | 3.4% |
12,903 of 159,766 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Darrell appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Darrell? ▼
Where does Darrell sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Darrell most popular? ▼
Where is Darrell most popular? ▼
How long has the name Darrell been used? ▼
What names are similar to Darrell? ▼
What to do with Darrell's data
- Darrell's decade-level peak was the 1960s (38,025 total births); usage has since declined to 735 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Darrells (12,903 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Darrell
Nearby Names Like Darrell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Darrell
Compare Darrell side by side: Darrell vs Darren Darrell vs Darryl Darrell vs Daryl
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Darrell
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Darrell: 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 (~139 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, 1886–2025 (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 Darrell 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.