Darlean
A feminine name derived from a combination of Darla and Irene.
Name Census estimates that about 541 living Americans carry the first name Darlean. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Darlean today is around 67 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Darlean births was 1958 (47 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Darlean. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Darlean is about 67 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Darleans were born before 1969.
People living today
541
~ 1 in 633,557 Americans
Peak year
1958
47 babies that year
Average age
67
years old
1979 SSA rank
#10,556
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Darlean: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Darlean from the 1920s through to the 1970s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 272 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Darlean 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 Darlean during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Darleans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana recorded the most babies named Darlean, while Illinois, California, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Darlean
The name Darlean is a relatively modern name that emerged in the late 19th or early 20th century. It is likely a combination of the names Darla and Arlene, both of which have distinct origins. The name Darla is believed to be a diminutive form of the name Darleen, which itself is a variant of the name Darlene. Darlene is thought to be derived from the French name Arline, which comes from the Old German name Arlin or Erling.
The name Arlene, on the other hand, is believed to have originated from the Old French name Arlin or Arlind, which in turn can be traced back to the Old German name Arlin or Erling. The name Erling is comprised of two elements: "ari" meaning "eagle" and "ling" meaning "descendant" or "belonging to." Thus, the name Arlene may have originally meant "descendant of the eagle" or "belonging to the eagle."
While there are no recorded instances of the name Darlean appearing in ancient texts or religious scriptures, some of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in census records and birth registries from the early 20th century in the United States and Canada.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Darlean was Darlean Humphreys, an American actress born in 1930. She had a brief career in Hollywood during the 1950s, appearing in a few films and television shows.
Another notable figure with the name Darlean was Darlean Fluker, an American civil rights activist and educator born in 1933. She was involved in the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi and worked to improve educational opportunities for African Americans.
In the field of literature, Darlean Unfried was an American author and poet born in 1941. She published several collections of poetry and was known for her works exploring themes of identity and social issues.
Darlean Cooley, born in 1945, was an American politician who served as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives from 1991 to 2003.
Lastly, Darlean Siegel, born in 1949, was an American artist and sculptor known for her abstract works and installations. Her pieces were exhibited in various galleries and museums across the United States.
While the name Darlean is not as common as some other names, it has a unique history and has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions throughout the 20th century.
People
Darlean + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Darlean 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
Darlean: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Darlean?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 541 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Darlean 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 633,557 US residents.
Is Darlean a common name?
We classify Darlean as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 884 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Darlean most popular?
The single biggest year for Darlean was 1958, when 47 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Darlean is about 67 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Darlean a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Darlean 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.