Darnell
- Pronunciation
- [Dar-nell]
- Gender
- Male
- Meaning
- From Darnall
- Origin
- English
About the Name Darnell
Darnell is an English name derived from the place-name and surname Darnall, meaning "from Darnall," a locality whose name points to a hidden or secluded corner of land. Like many surname-derived first names, it carries a grounded, dignified character, and its smooth two-syllable flow has given it a warm, contemporary sound. The soft ending lends it a polished, melodic quality that sets it apart from blunter surname names.
The name belongs to the broad tradition of English place and surname names that became popular given names, and it found particular favor in the late twentieth century for its rhythmic, refined quality. Its blend of heritage and modern style gave it a distinctive presence among boys' names of its era, appealing to parents who wanted a name that felt both established and stylish. That combination of dignity and warmth helped it hold a steady place for many years.
Darnell first entered the US Social Security top-1000 in 2000 and appeared through 2012, peaking in its debut year of 2000 at rank #659. It registered 203 births in 2012 at rank #984, with 238 in 2011 at #878 and 235 in 2010 at #887, reflecting a steady presence through the 2000s before it slipped from the top-1000. Recorded variants include Darnall, Darneil, and Darnel, offering families several spellings of the same grounded name.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration name data, 1880–2024 (methodology). By Marvin Tang.
Quick Facts About Darnell
US Popularity History (2000–2012)
Annual US births named Darnell by gender, from US Social Security Administration records. Peak year: 2007 with 325 boys named Darnell (boy rank #713 that year).
Where it stands today: in 2012, ranked #984 for boys (203 US births). That's 271 places below its 2007 peak.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Limitations: US birth-certificate data only; names appearing fewer than 5 times in a given year are suppressed for privacy; spelling variants are counted separately. For names that ranked outside the US top 100 before year 2000, only the years they reached the top 100 are shown — the chart may have gaps for less-popular historical names.
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Where in the US Is Darnell Most Popular?
Average boy-name rank within each state across 2016–2025 SSA records. A lower number means the name appears closer to the top of that state's boys-name rankings — a per-capita measure that isn't biased toward large states. For Darnell the strongest states are Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan.
Strongest boys-name states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana | #705 | 26 |
| 2 | Maryland | #708 | 18 |
| 3 | Michigan | #709 | 83 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | #799 | 29 |
| 5 | Ohio | #841 | 75 |
| 6 | Illinois | #848 | 31 |
| 7 | New Jersey | #973 | 17 |
Weakest boys-name states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | #973 | 17 |
| 2 | Illinois | #848 | 31 |
| 3 | Ohio | #841 | 75 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | #799 | 29 |
| 5 | Michigan | #709 | 83 |
| 6 | Maryland | #708 | 18 |
| 7 | Louisiana | #705 | 26 |
Source: SSA state-level baby-name dataset 2016–2025. States with fewer than 3 years of data for Darnell in this window are excluded. Births < 5 in a given state-year are suppressed by SSA for privacy.
Variant Forms
Looking for names like Darnell?
A dedicated page with 60+ related names — spelling variants, rhymes, alliterations, same-origin matches, and shared meaning concepts — lives at its own URL so each kind of similarity gets a deeper treatment than fits here.
Compare Darnell to Other Popular Names
Side-by-side popularity charts and crossover years for Darnell against today's most popular boys-name peers (top 8 by US births in the last 10 years of SSA records).