Dernell
A name likely derived from the French place name Dernol, meaning "hill".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Dernell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dernell today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dernell births was 1981 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dernell. 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 Dernell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1981
5 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
1982 SSA rank
#6,603
Tracked since 1981
Popularity
Dernell: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Dernell 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 Dernell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Dernell
The name Dernell is believed to have originated from the Old English language spoken in Anglo-Saxon England. It is derived from the Old English words "deor" meaning "deer" and "nell" meaning "brave" or "courageous." The name can be interpreted to mean "brave as a deer" or "courageous deer."
While the exact time period of its origin is uncertain, the name likely emerged during the early medieval period, around the 5th to 8th centuries AD, when Old English was the predominant language spoken in what is now parts of England and southern Scotland. The name was likely used by Anglo-Saxon communities in these regions.
There are no known references to the name Dernell in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records from the medieval period. However, this could be due to the scarcity of written records from that time and the regional nature of the name's usage.
The earliest recorded example of the name Dernell is found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as a personal name, suggesting it was in use among the Anglo-Saxon population at that time.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Dernell was Dernell of Warwick, a minor landowner who lived in the county of Warwickshire, England, in the late 11th century. Records from the time mention him in connection with a land dispute.
Another notable figure was Sir Dernell Blackwood, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France in the 14th century. He participated in several battles, including the Battle of Crécy in 1346.
In the 16th century, there was a Dernell Smythe, a merchant and alderman in the city of London. He was a prominent figure in the city's guild system and served as a member of the Court of Aldermen, the governing body of the City of London.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a soldier named Dernell Cromwell fought for the Parliamentarian forces under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell, though it is unclear if they were related.
In the 18th century, Dernell Wyndham was a renowned botanist and horticulturist from Somerset, England. He is credited with introducing several new plant species to England and writing extensively on gardening and plant cultivation.
People
Dernell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dernell 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
Dernell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dernell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dernell 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Dernell a common name?
We classify Dernell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dernell most popular?
The single biggest year for Dernell was 1981, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dernell is about 47 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 Dernell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dernell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dernell 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 Dernell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dernell 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 Dernell 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 people are called Dernell?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.