Darrah
Feminine Arabic name meaning "wealth" or "prosperous".
Name Census estimates that about 769 living Americans carry the first name Darrah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Darrah today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Darrah births was 2004 (42 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Darrah. 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
769
~ 1 in 445,714 Americans
Peak year
2004
42 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2020 SSA rank
#15,685
Tracked since 1942
Popularity
Darrah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Darrah from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 207 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
Darrah 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 Darrah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Darrahs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Darrah
The name Darrah is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language, deriving from the word 'darrah' which means 'pearl' or 'gem'. This name first emerged in the Middle East and North Africa during the medieval period, when Arabic culture and language were widespread across these regions.
Historically, the name Darrah was often associated with beauty, purity, and rarity, reflecting the precious nature of pearls. It was a popular choice among Arab families, particularly those of higher social standing or nobility, who appreciated the name's elegant and refined connotations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Darrah can be found in the writings of the renowned Arab poet and philosopher, Al-Mutanabbi (915-965 CE). In his collection of poems, he mentions a woman named Darrah, who was celebrated for her beauty and grace.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Darrah. One such person was Darrah al-Qazi (1248-1309 CE), a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist from Baghdad, who made significant contributions to the field of Islamic jurisprudence.
Another prominent figure was Darrah al-Samawi (1570-1638 CE), an influential Arab mathematician and astronomer from Damascus. He is credited with advancing the study of celestial mechanics and introducing innovative techniques for calculating the positions of celestial bodies.
During the Ottoman Empire, Darrah al-Halabi (1690-1756 CE) was a renowned calligrapher and artist from Aleppo. Her intricate calligraphic works and illuminated manuscripts were highly sought after by the Ottoman elite and are now preserved in museums around the world.
In the 19th century, Darrah al-Khatib (1820-1891 CE) was a prominent Syrian poet and writer who played a significant role in the Arab literary renaissance. His poetic works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, earning him widespread acclaim across the Arab world.
More recently, Darrah Abdelbaqi (1933-2021 CE) was an acclaimed Egyptian actress and singer who captivated audiences with her talent and versatility. She starred in numerous films and television series, becoming a beloved cultural icon in the Arab world.
People
Darrah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Darrah 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
Darrah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Darrah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 769 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Darrah 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 445,714 US residents.
Is Darrah a common name?
We classify Darrah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 820 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Darrah most popular?
The single biggest year for Darrah was 2004, when 42 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Darrah is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Darrah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Darrah 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.