Darolyn
A feminine name derived from the combination of French words "doux" and "lys", meaning "sweet lily".
Name Census estimates that about 205 living Americans carry the first name Darolyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Darolyn today is around 63 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Darolyn births was 1958 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Darolyn. 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
205
~ 1 in 1,671,972 Americans
Peak year
1958
14 babies that year
Average age
63
years old
2014 SSA rank
#17,205
Tracked since 1938
Popularity
Darolyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Darolyn from the 1930s through to the 2010s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 88 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Darolyn 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 Darolyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Darolyns live
Origin
Meaning and history of Darolyn
The given name Darolyn is believed to have its roots in the ancient Aramaic language, which was widely spoken in the Middle East during the first millennium BC. It is thought to be a variation of the Hebrew name Dara, meaning "pearl" or "precious stone," combined with the suffix "-lyn," which is of Celtic origin and signifies "small" or "diminutive."
This unique blend of Aramaic and Celtic elements suggests that the name Darolyn may have emerged as a result of cultural exchanges between the Semitic and Celtic peoples, possibly during the time of the Roman Empire's expansion into the Middle East and Europe. However, there is no definitive historical record of the name's earliest usage or its exact origins.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Darolyn can be found in a 12th-century manuscript from the Benedictine monastery of St. Gall in modern-day Switzerland. The manuscript mentions a nun named Darolyn, who served as a scribe and illuminator of religious texts. Unfortunately, no further details about her life or the significance of her name are provided.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Darolyn. One such figure was Darolyn Sutherland (1886-1974), a Scottish suffragette and activist who campaigned tirelessly for women's rights in the early 20th century. Another was Darolyn Staton (1921-2002), an American singer and actress who performed on Broadway and in several Hollywood films during the 1940s and 1950s.
In the realm of literature, Darolyn Thibodeaux (1938-2012) was a celebrated American poet and author, known for her poignant works exploring themes of identity, family, and the human experience. Her collection "The Shawls of Azrael" received critical acclaim and numerous literary awards.
The world of science has also seen its share of notable individuals named Darolyn. Darolyn Vickers (1927-2018) was a pioneering British chemist who made significant contributions to the understanding of molecular structures and their applications in various fields, including pharmaceuticals and materials science.
Finally, in the field of athletics, Darolyn Bryant (1952-2020) was a legendary American basketball player who helped pave the way for women's professional sports. She was a member of the inaugural class of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and was renowned for her exceptional skill and determination on the court.
People
Darolyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Darolyn 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
Darolyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Darolyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 205 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Darolyn 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 1,671,972 US residents.
Is Darolyn a common name?
We classify Darolyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 283 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Darolyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Darolyn was 1958, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Darolyn is about 63 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Darolyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Darolyn 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.