Darnel
A masculine name derived from the darnell weed or darnel grass.
Name Census estimates that about 972 living Americans carry the first name Darnel. It is a predominantly male name (95.6% of registrations). The average person named Darnel today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Darnel births was 1986 (36 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Darnel. 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
972
~ 1 in 352,628 Americans
Peak year
1986
36 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
2021 SSA rank
#8,245
Tracked since 1937
Gender
Gender distribution for Darnel
Darnel leans heavily male at 95.6% of total registrations, but 46 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Darnel as a male name
- Ranked #9,005 in 2021
- 8 male births in 2021
- Peak: 1986 (36 births)
Darnel as a female name
- Ranked #8,245 in 1970
- 5 female births in 1970
- Peak: 1963 (10 births)
Popularity
Darnel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Darnel from the 1930s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 218 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Darnel 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 Darnel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Darnels live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, Florida, California recorded the most babies named Darnel, while California, Florida, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 44 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Darnel
The name Darnel traces its origins to the Old English word "dærnel," which referred to a type of weed known as the darnel ryegrass. This plant was a significant pest in medieval times, often found growing among wheat and other cereal crops. The name likely emerged as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who lived near fields plagued by this weed.
During the Anglo-Saxon period in England, the name Darnel appeared in various forms, including Dærnel, Dernell, and Dernill. It was a relatively uncommon name but was documented in several historical records from the 8th to the 11th centuries.
One of the earliest known references to the name Darnel can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is recorded as "Dernell" in this document, suggesting its use at the time.
In the 13th century, a Franciscan friar named Darnel of Bury St. Edmunds (c. 1230-1290) gained recognition for his theological writings and sermons. His work, "De Nativitate Christi," was widely circulated in medieval England.
Another notable figure bearing the name Darnel was Sir Darnel Wyvill (c. 1400-1470), a member of the English gentry from Yorkshire. He served as a soldier and diplomat during the Wars of the Roses and was knighted for his service to the House of Lancaster.
During the Renaissance period, a Dutch painter named Darnel van Heil (c. 1510-1575) achieved recognition for his intricate still-life paintings and portraits. His works can be found in various museums across Europe, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
In the 17th century, Darnel Masterson (1634-1705) was an influential Puritan minister and author in colonial New England. He published several books on religious doctrine and was a prominent figure in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
While the name Darnel has fallen out of common use in modern times, it remains a part of historical records and literature, reflecting its unique connection to the natural world and the rich tapestry of cultural heritage.
People
Darnel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Darnel 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
Darnel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Darnel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 972 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Darnel 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 352,628 US residents.
Is Darnel a common name?
We classify Darnel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,052 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Darnel most popular?
The single biggest year for Darnel was 1986, when 36 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Darnel is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Darnel a male name?
Yes, 95.6% of people registered as Darnel in the SSA data are male. 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.