Total births
26,347
Boys' name · since 1881
Darwin
Darwin has 26,347 recorded births since 1881 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1958 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #839
- among boys today
- 26,347
- born since 1881
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Darwin is the #839 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 26,347 recorded since 1881.
Darwin has 26,347 recorded births among boys since 1881, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #839 as of the latest data, more common than 94% of boys, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #839 among boys today
- 26,347 born since 1881
- 1950s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Darwin is currently the #839 boys' name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 26,347 born since 1881, peaking in the 1950s.
- #839
- among boys today
- 26,347
- born since 1881
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Darwin vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#839
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
13% of everyone ever named Darwin was born in this single decade.
1958
Single peak year
418 babies were named Darwin in 1958 - its busiest year on record.
How Darwin compares
26,347 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
Darwin's all-time total is 72x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Darwin | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 26,347 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 418 | 23 | 22,252 |
Darwin's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Darwin's full recorded timeline at 1960, 51% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 49% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1881, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1958 peak of 418 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Darwin at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1958
Current rank
#839
Active since
1881
Darwin popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (1958)
- 418
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Darwin popularity over time - girls
89 total births recorded since 1933 (Darwin as girls' name)
Darwin by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Darwin's strongest decade.
3,490 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Darwin births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 23
1880s
23 births
- 1890s 20
1890s
20 births
- 1900s 66
1900s
66 births
- 1910s 964
1910s
964 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,208 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,023 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,033 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,490 births
- 1960s
1960s
3,436 births
- 1970s 1,363
1970s
1,363 births
- 1980s 1,150
1980s
1,150 births
- 1990s 1,292
1990s
1,292 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,252 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,592 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,435 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 3,490 births (13% of all-time use).
How Darwin 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 Darwin's total volume
Darwin vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Darwin by state
Where Darwin concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 1,923 | 7.3% |
| #2 | California | | 1,886 | 7.2% |
| #3 | Texas | | 1,853 | 7.0% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 1,596 | 6.1% |
| #5 | Iowa | | 1,491 | 5.7% |
| #6 | Minnesota | | 1,091 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 1,082 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 1,071 | 4.1% |
New York share of Darwin's total US births 7.3%
Even split
1,923 of 26,347 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 46 reporting states.
Darwin appears in 46 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Darwin? ▼
Since 1881, Social Security records show 26,347 babies named Darwin. Today it holds rank #839 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1958, with 418 births.
When was Darwin most popular? ▼
Darwin was most popular in the 1950s decade with 3,490 total births. The single peak year was 1958.
Where is Darwin most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Darwin are New York (1,923 births), California (1,886 births), Texas (1,853 births).
How long has the name Darwin been used? ▼
Records for Darwin go back to 1881, giving 145 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Darwin? ▼
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 Darwin's data
- Darwin's usage has stayed within range of its 1950s decade-level peak (3,490 total births) through the 2020s (1,435) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Darwins (1,923 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 Darwin
Nearby Names Like Darwin
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Darwin
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 Darwin side by side: Darwin vs Darrell Darwin vs Darren Darwin vs Darryl
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Darwin
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, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Darwin: #839 Boys' Name - 26,347 Births, Peak 1958." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/darwin. 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 Darwin 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.