Find out how popular the first name Darlington has been for the last 3 years (from 2021 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Darlington by gender

Based on the last 3 years of data, Darlington is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 5 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Darlington.

The history of the first name Darlington

The name Darlington is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is a place name derived from the town of Darlington in County Durham, which was first recorded as Derenington in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "deor" meaning deer, and "ing" meaning a meadow or pasture, suggesting it was originally a meadow or pasture where deer grazed.

Darlington as a given name likely emerged from the place name, as it was a common practice in medieval times for people to adopt the name of their place of origin or residence as a surname or given name. The earliest recorded use of Darlington as a first name dates back to the 13th century, when a man named Darlington de Darlington was mentioned in historical records from 1273.

In the 14th century, a notable figure with the name Darlington was Sir Darlington de Wyvill, a knight and landowner from Yorkshire, who lived from around 1320 to 1385. Another early bearer of the name was John Darlington, a scholar and theologian from Oxford University, who lived from approximately 1380 to 1457.

During the Renaissance period, a famous Darlington was William Darlington, an English botanist and physician who lived from 1782 to 1863. He was known for his extensive work on the flora of Pennsylvania and his contributions to the study of plant taxonomy.

In the 19th century, Darlington Crisp was a notable English architect and surveyor who lived from 1808 to 1882. He was responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Another notable Darlington from the 19th century was Darlington Parry, a Welsh composer and musician who lived from 1829 to 1902. He is particularly remembered for his contributions to Welsh choral music and for composing the popular song "Ar Hyd y Nos" (All Through the Night).

While the name Darlington has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world and continues to be used as a given name in various cultures and societies.

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 Darlington was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Darlington, 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!