Total births
92,285
Boys' name · since 1913
Darryl
92,285 babies named Darryl in U.S. Social Security records since 1913, with the highest year being 1961. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1798
- among boys today
- 92,285
- born since 1913
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Darryl is the #1798 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 92,285 recorded since 1913.
Social Security Administration records show Darryl recorded 92,285 times among boys since 1913, holding rank #1798 nationally today, ahead of 87% of boys, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1913 to 2025.
- #1798 among boys today
- 92,285 born since 1913
- 1960s peak decade
- 87% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Darryl is currently the #1798 boys' name in America, more common than 87% of boys - 92,285 born since 1913, peaking in the 1960s.
- #1798
- among boys today
- 92,285
- born since 1913
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other boys
Darryl vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1798
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 87% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
42% of everyone ever named Darryl was born in this single decade.
1961
Single peak year
5,134 babies were named Darryl in 1961 - its busiest year on record.
How Darryl compares
92,285 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
Darryl's all-time total is 251x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Darryl | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 92,285 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 5,134 | 23 | 22,252 |
Darryl's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Darryl splits its recorded history at 1970: 33% of all births land in the more recent half, 67% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1915 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1961 peak of 5,134 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Darryl at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1961
Current rank
#1,798
Active since
1913
Darryl popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1913–2025
- Peak year (1961)
- 5,134
- Annual births at peak, across 113 years of records
Darryl popularity over time - girls
1,134 total births recorded since 1936 (Darryl as girls' name)
Darryl by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Darryl's strongest decade.
39,200 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 42% of all-time use.
Darryl births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 47
1910s
47 births
- 1920s 124
1920s
124 births
- 1930s 1,558
1930s
1,558 births
- 1940s 5,750
1940s
5,750 births
- 1950s 15,083
1950s
15,083 births
- 1960s
1960s
39,200 births
- 1970s 8,385
1970s
8,385 births
- 1980s 10,313
1980s
10,313 births
- 1990s 6,545
1990s
6,545 births
- 2000s 2,922
2000s
2,922 births
- 2010s 1,788
2010s
1,788 births
- 2020s 570
2020s
570 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 39,200 births (42% of all-time use).
How Darryl 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 Darryl's total volume
Darryl vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Darryl by state
Where Darryl concentrates geographically, total births since 1913
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 8,617 | 9.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 8,015 | 8.7% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 6,384 | 6.9% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 5,347 | 5.8% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 5,099 | 5.5% |
| #6 | Texas | | 4,424 | 4.8% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 4,269 | 4.6% |
| #8 | Florida | | 3,879 | 4.2% |
California share of Darryl's total US births 9.3%
Even split
8,617 of 92,285 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Darryl appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Darryl? ▼
Since 1913, Social Security records show 92,285 babies named Darryl. Today it holds rank #1798 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1961, with 5,134 births.
When was Darryl most popular? ▼
Darryl was most popular in the 1960s decade with 39,200 total births. The single peak year was 1961.
Where is Darryl most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Darryl are California (8,617 births), New York (8,015 births), Illinois (6,384 births).
How long has the name Darryl been used? ▼
Records for Darryl go back to 1913, giving 113 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Darryl? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Darrell, Darren, Daryl, Darius, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Darryl's data
- Darryl's decade-level peak was the 1960s (39,200 total births); usage has since declined to 570 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Darryls (8,617 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 Darryl
Nearby Names Like Darryl
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Darryl
Darrell Boy
#1460 159,766 births
Darren Boy
#954 103,937 births
Daryl Boy
#2001 63,058 births
Darius Boy
#746 54,006 births
Darin Boy
#3548 32,546 births
Compare Darryl side by side: Darryl vs Darrell Darryl vs Darren Darryl vs Daryl
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Darryl
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, 1913–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Darryl: #1798 Boys' Name - 92,285 Births, Peak 1961." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/darryl. 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 Darryl 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.