Find out how popular the first name Darlene has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Darlene by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Darlene is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 100% of people named Darlene being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 107 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Darlene.

The history of the first name Darlene

The name Darlene is a relatively modern English given name that emerged in the early 20th century. It is believed to be a combination of the names Darla and Arlene, both of which have separate roots and origins.

The first part, "Dar," is thought to be derived from the Old English word "deor," meaning "deer." This root is also found in names like Darcy and Daria. The second part, "lene," is believed to come from the German name Arlene, which itself is a variation of the name Arlen, meaning "little bear."

While the name Darlene does not have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its component parts have been present in various cultures for centuries. The earliest recorded use of the name Darlene itself dates back to the early 1900s in the United States.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Darlene was Darlene Harder, an American film actress born in 1921. She appeared in several movies in the 1940s and 1950s, including "The Big Punch" and "The Girl from Jones Beach."

Another famous Darlene was Darlene Love, an American singer and actress born in 1941. She was known for her work as a backing vocalist for popular artists like Elvis Presley and Dionne Warwick, as well as her solo hits like "He's a Rebel" and "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)."

Darlene Cates, an American actress born in 1947, is best remembered for her role as the mother in the 1993 film "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." Despite having a relatively short acting career, her performance in that movie was widely acclaimed.

In the world of sports, Darlene Hardick was a Canadian figure skater born in 1951. She won several national championships and represented Canada at the 1972 and 1976 Winter Olympics.

Lastly, Darlene Zschech is an Australian Pentecostal Christian worship leader and singer-songwriter born in 1965. She has written many popular contemporary Christian music songs and has been a significant figure in the modern worship music movement.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Darlene was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Darlene, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!