2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Darnielle
A French locational surname likely referring to someone from Darnétal in Normandy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Darnielle. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Darnielle 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.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Darnielle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Darnielle, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Darnielle
The surname Darnielle originated in France and has its roots in the medieval era, likely emerging in the 12th or 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "darne," which referred to a slice or piece, particularly of fish. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for a fishmonger or someone involved in the fishing trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Darnielle can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, an important census-like document from the reign of King Edward I. The name appears as "Darnelle," which aligns with the theory of its French origins and potential connection to the fishing industry.
In the 14th century, a variant spelling of the name, "Darnall," emerged and was associated with a village in Derbyshire, England. This village was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, suggesting that the name may have been adopted by individuals from this location or those with ties to the area.
Among notable historical figures bearing the surname Darnielle is Jean Darnielle, a French Catholic theologian and philosopher who lived from 1615 to 1675. He was a prominent figure in the Jansenist movement and authored several influential works on theology and philosophy.
In the 18th century, we find John Darnielle, born in 1723, who was a prominent merchant and landowner in colonial Virginia. He played a significant role in the economic development of the region and left behind a lasting legacy through his business ventures and land acquisitions.
Another notable bearer of the Darnielle surname was Marie-Geneviève Darnielle, a French painter born in 1753. She was renowned for her portraiture and became a member of the prestigious Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in 1784, a remarkable achievement for a woman artist of her time.
Moving into the 19th century, we encounter Charles Darnielle, a French politician and lawyer born in 1818. He served as a deputy in the National Assembly and was known for his advocacy of civil liberties and social reforms during the tumultuous period of the French Revolution.
Finally, in the 20th century, we have John Darnielle, an American musician and writer born in 1967. He is best known as the founder and frontman of the indie folk rock band The Mountain Goats, which he has led since the early 1990s, gaining critical acclaim for their storytelling lyrics and unique sound.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Darnielle
Among Census respondents with the surname Darnielle, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Darnielle 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 Darnielle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 109
- Two or more races7.4% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Darnielle
Darnielle 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-16 bearers (-12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,778 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+4 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 799 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.0%) | Down 21,778 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.4%) | Up 799 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 Darnielle 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 | #142,108 | #141,309 | 0.6% |
| Count | 117 | 121 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Darnielle bearers went from 117 to 121 (+3.4% change). The surname moved up 799 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #141,309.
FAQ
Darnielle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Darnielle?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Darnielle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Darnielle?
Darnielle ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Darnielle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Darnielle.
Has Darnielle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Darnielle went from 117 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 4 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #142,108 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Darnielle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Darnielle, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Darnielle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Darnielle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (7.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Darnielle (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 Darnielle mean?
A French locational surname likely referring to someone from Darnétal in Normandy. 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 Darnielle (0.04 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 share the surname Darnielle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.