boy's name
Daryl
DA-ril (English)
- Origin French
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 72,437
Scotland
#721
2024 births
Daryl completes a set of three — Darrell, Darryl and Daryl are one Norman place name split across three spellings, and all three appear in this group, carrying about 328,000 births between them.
- Daryl is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in 1956, when 1,968 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 29,340 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1912.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Daryl Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 216 |
| 1920s | 1,153 |
| 1930s | 2,079 |
| 1940s | 6,095 |
| 1950s | 15,823 |
| 1960s | 15,914 |
| 1970s | 11,270 |
| 1980s | 7,275 |
| 1990s | 3,979 |
| 2000s | 1,897 |
| 2010s | 1,244 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 532 |
What Daryl Means
Daryl means from Airelle, a place in Normandy. It is a locational byname, so it records where a family came from rather than describing the person carrying it.
Where Daryl Comes From
Daryl descends from the Norman d'Airelle — of Airelle, a place in Calvados — brought to England after the Conquest and recorded as Darell and Dayrell. The beloved gloss that circulates widely is a folk reading produced by the English ear finding dear in the first syllable, and the two words have no connection. American use is nineteenth-century onward, and the spelling divided four ways across Darrell, Darryl, Daryl and Darrel.
Daryl in Use
Daryl peaked in the United States in 1956, when 1,968 babies were registered, and is falling. It now ranks 721st in Scotland on 4 births, 1,083rd in France on 35, 1,538th in the United States on 122 and 2,427th in England and Wales on 10, across 72,437 lifetime births in five markets. Darrell holds 161,668 and Darryl 94,999, so one Norman place name accounts for roughly 328,000 births across three pages on this site.
How Popular Is Daryl?
In 2025, Daryl was given to 113 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Daryl 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 Daryl
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Daryl Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Daryl over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Daryl
- English DA-ril /ˈdæɹ.əl/
1 nickname for Daryl
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.
-
Daz 23 births
Daryl 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 Daryl
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Daryl — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Daryl
What does the name Daryl mean?
From Airelle, a place in Normandy — a locational byname.
Does Daryl mean beloved?
No. That comes from the English ear finding dear in the first syllable, which was never there.
How many spellings are there?
Darrell, Darryl, Daryl and Darrel — and the first three together hold about 328,000 births on record.
How popular is Daryl?
721st in Scotland, its strongest market, and 1,538th in the United States.
Is Daryl a girl's or a boy's name?
Daryl is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Daryl?
Daryl has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Daryl?
Daryl is usually shortened to Daz.
Is Daryl a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Daryl currently ranks #721 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.