Find out how popular the last name Darling is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Darling.

Darling, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Darling surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Darling in America

Darling is the 1904th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Darling surname appeared 18,879 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Darling.

We can also compare 2010 data for Darling to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Darling

The surname Darling is an English name derived from the Old English word "deorling", meaning "beloved one" or "darling". This term of endearment was originally a diminutive form of the word "deor", meaning "dear". The name was likely first used to refer to a cherished family member or perhaps a newborn child.

The earliest known record of the surname Darling dates back to the 13th century in the county of Hampshire, England. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Robert Darling, who was listed in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. Another early reference is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, which mentions a John Darling.

In the 14th century, the surname Darling appeared in various forms, including Derling, Durling, and Dyrling, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling that were common during that period. One notable individual from this time was William Darling, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex in 1332.

The surname Darling has been associated with several place names in England, such as Darlington in County Durham and Darlingscott in Worcestershire. These locations may have influenced the spelling and distribution of the name, as people often adopted surnames based on the places they lived or were born.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure with the surname Darling was Thomas Darling, an English dramatist and poet who lived from 1530 to 1595. Another noteworthy individual was Grace Darling, a celebrated English Victorian age heroine known for her bravery in rescuing survivors from the shipwrecked Forfarshire in 1838.

Other notable individuals with the surname Darling include:

• Ralph Darling (1772-1858), a British colonial governor of New South Wales, Australia.
• Flora Darling (1827-1909), an American philanthropist and socialite.
• Jay Norwood Darling (1876-1962), an American cartoonist and conservationist who won the Pulitzer Prize.
• Sir Robert Darling (1880-1939), an Australian politician and judge.

While the surname Darling has its roots in England, it has since been widely adopted and can be found in various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Darling

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Darling.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Darling was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Darling has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Darling was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Darling, please contact us.

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