boy's name
Darnell
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 32,211
Darnell is a boy's name with 2 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 56 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Peaked in 1984, when 770 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 59,203 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1912.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Darnell over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 78 |
| 1920s | 267 |
| 1930s | 372 |
| 1940s | 1,050 |
| 1950s | 3,557 |
| 1960s | 4,289 |
| 1970s | 5,172 |
| 1980s | 6,500 |
| 1990s | 4,573 |
| 2000s | 2,878 |
| 2010s | 1,782 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 500 |
How popular is Darnell?
In 2025, Darnell was given to 56 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Darnell is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Darnell
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Darnell also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Darnell over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Darnell
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Darnell — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Darnell
How popular is the name Darnell?
In 2025, Darnell was given to 56 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Darnell a girl's or a boy's name?
Darnell is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Darnell?
Darnell has 2 syllables.
When was Darnell most popular?
Darnell peaked in 1984, when 770 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Darnell a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Darnell currently ranks #2,433 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.