Darcee
Dark or dark-haired one, variant of French Darcy.
Name Census estimates that about 455 living Americans carry the first name Darcee. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Darcee today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Darcee births was 1960 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Darcee. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
455
~ 1 in 753,306 Americans
Peak year
1960
22 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
2014 SSA rank
#15,033
Tracked since 1952
Popularity
Darcee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Darcee from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 134 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Darcee by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Darcee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Darcee
The name Darcee is an English variant of the French name Darcey, which itself is derived from the place name Darcey, a small village in eastern France. The name Darcey likely originated from the Old French word "darce," meaning a wooded valley or glen.
The earliest recorded use of the name Darcee can be traced back to the late 16th century in England. It was initially used as a surname, but over time, it transitioned into a feminine given name. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Darcee Grantham, born in 1598 in Yorkshire, England.
In the 17th century, the name Darcee gained some popularity among the English nobility. One notable example is Darcee Fitzwilliam (1622-1698), a noblewoman and landowner from Lincolnshire. She was known for her philanthropy and support of local churches and schools.
During the 18th century, the name Darcee spread to other parts of Europe, particularly in France and Germany. One prominent figure was Darcee Beaumont (1711-1786), a French philosopher and writer who was influential in the Age of Enlightenment.
In the 19th century, the name Darcee gained a foothold in the United States, particularly among families with English or French ancestry. One famous American bearer of the name was Darcee Emerson (1845-1923), a renowned educator and women's rights activist from Massachusetts.
Another notable figure was Darcee Whitman (1879-1957), an American poet and writer who was part of the Imagist literary movement. Her works often explored themes of nature and the human experience.
As the 20th century progressed, the name Darcee continued to be used, albeit less commonly than some other names. One interesting example is Darcee Barker (1921-2008), a British anthropologist and expert on the indigenous cultures of Australia and the Pacific Islands.
People
Darcee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Darcee as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Darcee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Darcee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 455 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Darcee going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 753,306 US residents.
Is Darcee a common name?
We classify Darcee as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 518 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Darcee most popular?
The single biggest year for Darcee was 1960, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Darcee is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Darcee a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Darcee in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.