Total births
63,058
Unisex name · since 1912
Daryl
Since 1912, U.S. Social Security records show 63,058 babies named Daryl, peaking in 1956. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2001
- among boys today
- 63,058
- born since 1912
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Daryl is the #2001 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 63,058 recorded since 1912.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Daryl has been recorded 63,058 times among boys since 1912, currently ranked #2001 nationally and more common than 86% 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 1912 to 2025.
- #2001 among boys today
- 63,058 born since 1912
- 1960s peak decade
- 86% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Daryl is currently the #2001 unisex name in America, more common than 86% of boys - 63,058 born since 1912, peaking in the 1960s.
- #2001
- among boys today
- 63,058
- born since 1912
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
Daryl vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2001
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 86% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Daryl was born in this single decade.
1956
Single peak year
1,832 babies were named Daryl in 1956 - its busiest year on record.
How Daryl compares
63,058 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Daryl's all-time total is 172x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Daryl | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 63,058 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,832 | 23 | 22,252 |
Daryl's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Daryl splits its recorded history at 1969: 42% of all births land in the more recent half, 58% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1913 (6 births) -- compare that against the 1956 peak of 1,832 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Daryl at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1956
Current rank
#2,001
Active since
1912
Daryl popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (1956)
- 1,832
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Daryl popularity over time - girls
4,419 total births recorded since 1915 (Daryl as girls' name)
Daryl by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Daryl's strongest decade.
15,268 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Daryl births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 193
1910s
193 births
- 1920s 1,080
1920s
1,080 births
- 1930s 1,842
1930s
1,842 births
- 1940s 5,290
1940s
5,290 births
- 1950s
1950s
14,506 births
- 1960s
1960s
15,268 births
- 1970s
1970s
11,014 births
- 1980s
1980s
6,840 births
- 1990s 3,519
1990s
3,519 births
- 2000s 1,776
2000s
1,776 births
- 2010s 1,198
2010s
1,198 births
- 2020s 532
2020s
532 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 15,268 births (24% of all-time use).
How Daryl 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 Daryl's total volume
Daryl vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Daryl by state
Where Daryl concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5,584 | 8.9% |
| #2 | New York | | 3,813 | 6.0% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 3,525 | 5.6% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 3,474 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 3,357 | 5.3% |
| #6 | Texas | | 3,309 | 5.2% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 2,764 | 4.4% |
| #8 | Florida | | 2,160 | 3.4% |
California share of Daryl's total US births 8.9%
Even split
5,584 of 63,058 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Daryl appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Daryl? ▼
Since 1912, Social Security records show 63,058 babies named Daryl. Today it holds rank #2001 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1956, with 1,832 births.
When was Daryl most popular? ▼
Daryl was most popular in the 1960s decade with 15,268 total births. The single peak year was 1956.
Where is Daryl most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Daryl are California (5,584 births), New York (3,813 births), Ohio (3,525 births).
Is Daryl a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Daryl is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 63,058 births, and as a girl's name it has 4,419 births.
How long has the name Daryl been used? ▼
Daryl has been recorded in Social Security data since 1912, spanning 114 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Daryl? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Darrell, Darren, Darryl, Darius, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Daryl's data
- Daryl's decade-level peak was the 1960s (15,268 total births); usage has since declined to 532 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Daryls (5,584 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 Daryl
Nearby Names Like Daryl
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Daryl
Darrell Boy
#1460 159,766 births
Darren Boy
#954 103,937 births
Darryl Boy
#1798 92,285 births
Darius Boy
#746 54,006 births
Darin Boy
#3548 32,546 births
Compare Daryl side by side: Daryl vs Darrell Daryl vs Darren Daryl vs Darryl
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Daryl
Octavius #2000
3,687 births · Peak 1991
Copeland #2002
1,198 births · Peak 2025
Von #1999
5,552 births · Peak 1958
Whitley #2003
843 births · Peak 2025
Cortez #1998
10,899 births · Peak 1990
Keyon #2004
5,919 births · Peak 2002
Neal #1997
55,048 births · Peak 1959
Cree #2005
1,129 births · Peak 2022
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, 1912–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Daryl: #2001 Unisex Name - 63,058 Births, Peak 1956." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/daryl. 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 Daryl 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.