Total births
103,937
Boys' name · since 1936
Darren
Darren has 103,937 recorded births since 1936 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1965 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #954
- among boys today
- 103,937
- born since 1936
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Darren is the #954 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 103,937 recorded since 1936.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Darren has been recorded 103,937 times among boys since 1936, currently ranked #954 nationally and more common than 93% 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 1936 to 2025.
- #954 among boys today
- 103,937 born since 1936
- 1960s peak decade
- 93% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Darren is currently the #954 boys' name in America, more common than 93% of boys - 103,937 born since 1936, peaking in the 1960s.
- #954
- among boys today
- 103,937
- born since 1936
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Darren vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#954
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 93% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Darren was born in this single decade.
1965
Single peak year
5,938 babies were named Darren in 1965 - its busiest year on record.
How Darren compares
103,937 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Darren's all-time total is 283x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Darren | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 103,937 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 5,938 | 23 | 22,252 |
Darren's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Darren splits its recorded history at 1983: 38% of all births land in the more recent half, 62% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1949 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1965 peak of 5,938 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Darren at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1965
Current rank
#954
Active since
1936
Darren popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1936–2025
- Peak year (1965)
- 5,938
- Annual births at peak, across 90 years of records
Darren popularity over time - girls
569 total births recorded since 1956 (Darren as girls' name)
Darren by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Darren's strongest decade.
35,038 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Darren births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 13
1930s
13 births
- 1940s 52
1940s
52 births
- 1950s 2,048
1950s
2,048 births
- 1960s
1960s
35,038 births
- 1970s
1970s
22,574 births
- 1980s
1980s
15,698 births
- 1990s 12,519
1990s
12,519 births
- 2000s 8,920
2000s
8,920 births
- 2010s 5,490
2010s
5,490 births
- 2020s 1,585
2020s
1,585 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 35,038 births (34% of all-time use).
How Darren 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 Darren's total volume
Darren vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Darren by state
Where Darren concentrates geographically, total births since 1936
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 13,256 | 12.8% |
| #2 | New York | | 8,402 | 8.1% |
| #3 | Texas | | 5,812 | 5.6% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 4,843 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 4,610 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 4,293 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 3,573 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Florida | | 3,468 | 3.3% |
California share of Darren's total US births 12.8%
Even split
13,256 of 103,937 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Darren appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Darren? ▼
Since 1936, Social Security records show 103,937 babies named Darren. Today it holds rank #954 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1965, with 5,938 births.
When was Darren most popular? ▼
Darren was most popular in the 1960s decade with 35,038 total births. The single peak year was 1965.
Where is Darren most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Darren are California (13,256 births), New York (8,402 births), Texas (5,812 births).
How long has the name Darren been used? ▼
Records for Darren go back to 1936, giving 90 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Darren? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Darrell, Darryl, Daryl, Darius, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Darren's data
- Darren's decade-level peak was the 1960s (35,038 total births); usage has since declined to 1,585 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Darrens (13,256 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 Darren
Nearby Names Like Darren
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Darren
Darrell Boy
#1460 159,766 births
Darryl Boy
#1798 92,285 births
Daryl Boy
#2001 63,058 births
Darius Boy
#746 54,006 births
Darin Boy
#3548 32,546 births
Compare Darren side by side: Darren vs Darrell Darren vs Darryl Darren vs Daryl
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Darren
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, 1936–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Darren: #954 Boys' Name - 103,937 Births, Peak 1965." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/darren. 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 Darren 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.