boy's name
Darren
DA-ren
- Origin American
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 132,436
Northern Ireland
#438
2024 births
Darren has no established origin — it appears in twentieth-century America with no traceable parent, and the Irish and Gaelic derivations offered for it were attached after the fact. We record 128,676 lifetime births for it, strongest in Northern Ireland.
- Darren is a name of American origin.
- Peaked in 1965, when 5,963 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 17,729 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1936.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Darren over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1930s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1930s | 13 |
| 1940s | 52 |
| 1950s | 2,078 |
| 1960s | 35,247 |
| 1970s | 22,725 |
| 1980s | 15,827 |
| 1990s | 12,562 |
| 2000s | 8,920 |
| 2010s | 5,497 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,585 |
What Darren means
Darren has no securely known meaning. Great, oak tree and a place in Normandy are all proposed, and none of them connects convincingly to the modern name.
Where Darren comes from
Darren is one of the clearest cases of a name that arrived without an etymology and had several supplied later. It appears in American records from the 1920s and rises sharply after 1950; proposals connect it to an Irish surname, to a Gaelic word for great, to the Welsh daren, a rocky hill, and to the Norman place name behind Darrell — and none accounts for its actual appearance and timing. Its rise is usually credited to the actor Darren McGavin and to the character in Bewitched, though our records show it climbing before either.
Darren in use
Darren peaked in the United States in 1965, when 5,963 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 438th in Northern Ireland on 3 births, 554th in Scotland on 5, 724th in Ireland on 4, 1074th in England and Wales on 28, 1133rd in the United States on 187 and 1175th in France on 30, across 132,436 lifetime births in all seven markets we track. Our records carry it only from 1936.
How popular is Darren?
In 2025, Darren was given to 187 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Darren 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 Darren
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Darren also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Darren over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Darren
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Darren in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Darren
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Darren — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Darren
What does the name Darren mean?
Nothing established. Several derivations have been offered and none accounts for the name's actual appearance and timing.
Is Darren an Irish name?
It is often claimed as one, but the connection was made after the name was already in American use.
When did Darren appear?
Our records carry it only from 1936, and it rises sharply after 1950.
Where is Darren used?
All six markets we track, with Northern Ireland ranking it highest at 438th.
How popular is the name Darren?
In 2025, Darren was given to 187 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Darren a girl's or a boy's name?
Darren is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Darren?
Darren has 2 syllables.
When was Darren most popular?
Darren peaked in 1965, when 5,963 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Darren?
Darren is usually shortened to Daz.
Is Darren a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Darren currently ranks #438 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.