2000
#1,859
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,775
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.59
Uncommon Last name
Darnell
Derived from Old French d'Arnelle, meaning "from Arnelle," a place in France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,937 Americans carry the last name Darnell. That puts it at #2,135 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Darnell surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Darnell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 18,100
Census rank
#2,135
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,514 bearers of the surname Darnell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2135th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Darnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Darnell
The surname Darnell is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "darne," which means a sheltered or hidden place. It is believed to have originated in the 12th century as a topographic name, given to someone who lived near a secluded or sheltered area.
In its earliest recorded form, the name appeared as "de Darnhale" in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199. This suggests that the name may have been associated with a specific place name, possibly referring to a small valley or dell.
The name Darnell can also be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Darnhale" in Shropshire. This entry provides evidence of the name's existence in England during the Norman conquest.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Darnell surname was Walter Darnell, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1202. Another early instance is found in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1279, which mention a Richard de Darnhale.
Over the centuries, the surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Darnall, Dernell, Dernel, and Darnill. These variations likely arose from regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
Notable individuals with the surname Darnell include Sir Thomas Darnell (1508-1586), an English politician and landowner who served as Sheriff of Lincolnshire. Another prominent figure was Ralph Darnell (1641-1711), an English mathematician and astrologer who wrote extensively on astronomy and astrology.
In the literary world, Henry Darnell (1776-1844) was an English poet and playwright, known for his work "The Hermit of Warkworth." Meanwhile, Ralph Darnell (1816-1885) was a British diplomat and politician who served as the Governor of the Straits Settlements from 1869 to 1877.
It is worth mentioning that the surname Darnell has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Darnall in Yorkshire and Darnal in Derbyshire, further reinforcing its topographic origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Darnell
Among Census respondents with the surname Darnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Darnell bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Darnell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.2% · 14,071
- Black or African American6.5% · 1,067
- Two or more races4.1% · 683
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 527
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 84
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 82
Timeline
Historical Census data for Darnell
Darnell appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,016
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,915
+140 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 6.07
Rank movement Down 157 places
2020
#2,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,514
-1,401 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 5.52
Rank movement Down 119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,859 | 17,775 | 6.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,016 | 17,915 | 6.07 | +140 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 157 places |
| 2020 | #2,135 | 16,514 | 5.52 | -1,401 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 119 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Darnell surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,016 | #2,135 | -5.9% |
| Count | 17,915 | 16,514 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 6.07 | 5.52 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Darnell bearers went from 17,915 to 16,514 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 119 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,016 to #2,135.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Darnell
FAQ
Darnell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Darnell?
Name Census estimates that about 18,937 living Americans carry the surname Darnell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,100 residents.
How common is Darnell?
Darnell ranks #2,135 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,514 people with the surname Darnell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,937), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Darnell.
Has Darnell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Darnell went from 17,915 recorded bearers to 16,514. That is a decrease of 1,401 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,016 to #2,135.
What does the Census say about the background of Darnell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Darnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Darnell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (14,071 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Darnell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.2%), Black (6.5%), Two or More Races (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Darnell (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Darnell mean?
Derived from Old French d'Arnelle, meaning "from Arnelle," a place in France. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Darnell (5.52 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Darnell?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.