Darney
A French place name derived from the town of Darney in eastern France.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Darney. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Darney today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Darney births was 1968 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Darney. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Darney. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1968
5 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
1968 SSA rank
#4,259
Tracked since 1968
Popularity
Darney: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Darney 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 Darney during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Darney
The name Darney is believed to have originated from the Old French language, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the French place name "Darnay," which referred to a small town in the Haute-Marne region of northeastern France.
The earliest recorded use of the name Darney can be found in historical records from the 13th century, where it appeared as a surname for individuals hailing from the town of Darnay. Over time, the name transitioned from a locational surname to a given name, likely influenced by its pleasing sound and cultural associations.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Darney was Sir Darney de Boulogne, a French knight who fought alongside William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. His bravery and loyalty to the Norman cause earned him land and titles in the newly conquered territories.
In the 15th century, Darney de Montfort was a renowned French poet and troubadour whose works celebrated courtly love and chivalry. His poetic verses were widely circulated among the noble circles of the time and helped popularize the name further.
During the Renaissance period, Darney Lefevre was a highly regarded French humanist scholar and translator. Born in 1492, he is credited with producing some of the earliest French translations of ancient Greek and Roman texts, contributing significantly to the spread of classical knowledge throughout Europe.
In the 18th century, Darney Dumont was a celebrated French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Palais-Royal and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. His innovative architectural style and contributions to urban planning left a lasting legacy in the city's landscape.
Another notable figure with the name Darney was Darney Beauregard, a French military officer who fought in the American Civil War. Born in 1818, he served as a Confederate general and played a pivotal role in several key battles, including the Battle of Bull Run and the Battle of Shiloh.
While the name Darney has roots in French culture and history, it has also been adopted and used in other parts of the world, often retaining its distinctive charm and unique character. However, the specific origins and evolution of the name can be traced back to the medieval town of Darnay in northeastern France, where it first emerged as a locational surname before becoming a widely recognized given name.
People
Darney + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Darney 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
Darney: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Darney?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Darney 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Darney a common name?
We classify Darney as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Darney most popular?
The single biggest year for Darney was 1968, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Darney is about 65 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Darney in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Darney a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Darney 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.
Is Darney still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Darney in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Darney can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Darney?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Darney at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.