Darlene Girl

Popularity: #840 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: DAR-leen //ˈdɑːrliːn//

Origin: English; French

Meaning: English: darling; French: dear one

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Darlene is believed to have originated in the United States in the early 20th century, deriving from a combination of the English word "darling," which denotes affection, and the suffix "-lene," a common diminutive ending in names. The term "darling" itself has roots in Middle English, stemming from the Old English "deorling," which means "beloved" or "dear one." This linguistic evolution reflects a transition from a term of endearment to a standalone name, showcasing the trend of creating feminine names from affectionate terms during this period.

Darlene gained prominence in the early 20th century, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s, coinciding with a broader cultural movement in America that favored unique and inventive names for girls. The name was popularized through various cultural mediums, including literature and music, which often featured characters or songs that embodied the qualities associated with the name.

One notable milestone was the song "Darlene," recorded by several artists in the mid-20th century, which contributed to its recognition and appeal. Culturally, Darlene has been associated with themes of love and affection, resonating with the nurturing qualities often attributed to femininity.

The name's gentle sound and positive connotations have allowed it to endure in various contexts, from literature to popular culture. While diminutive forms such as Dar or Lene have emerged, they are less commonly used in historical contexts.

Overall, Darlene reflects a blend of linguistic heritage and cultural significance, embodying the affectionate nature from which it derives.

Famous people named Darlene

In this section, you will find notable people named Darlene. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Darlene who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Darlene who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Darlene Love is a singer and actress best known for her work with The Crystals, her solo career, and the song "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).".

Darlene Conley was an actress best known for her role as Sally Spectra on The Bold and the Beautiful.

Fictional characters named Darlene

The following list of fictional characters named Darlene is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Darlene is a fictional character from the TV series Roseanne. She is the rebellious daughter of the Conner family who often challenges her parents' views and expectations.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Darlene, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

DarcyDaphneDelilahDianaDaisyDemi

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Darlene. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

MarleneCharleneArleneKarlynCarleenEvelynGwendolynJolene

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Darlene was first seen in the United States in 1896.

Darlene has ranked as high as #98 nationally, which occurred in 1958, and has been most popular in California, Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, and Ohio.

In the past 5 years the name Darlene has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Darlene is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Darlene was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Darlene.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 108 0 108
2024 113 0 113
2023 108 0 108
2022 108 0 108
2021 103 0 103
2020 110 0 110
2019 122 0 122
2018 134 0 134
2017 146 0 146
2016 144 0 144
2015 160 0 160
2014 171 0 171
2013 187 0 187
2012 217 0 217
2011 196 0 196
2010 208 0 208
2009 215 0 215
2008 236 0 236
2007 223 0 223
2006 244 0 244
2005 225 0 225
2004 236 0 236
2003 203 0 203
2002 251 0 251
2001 266 0 266
2000 273 0 273
1999 224 0 224
1998 256 0 256
1997 249 0 249
1996 283 0 283
1995 272 0 272
1994 344 0 344
1993 370 0 370
1992 378 0 378
1991 466 0 466
1990 506 0 506
1989 484 7 477
1988 482 0 482
1987 441 0 441
1986 451 0 451
1985 471 0 471
1984 459 0 459
1983 527 0 527
1982 584 0 584
1981 639 0 639
1980 653 0 653
1979 667 0 667
1978 718 0 718
1977 772 0 772
1976 832 5 827
1975 915 10 905
1974 1,019 0 1,019
1973 1,167 6 1,161
1972 1,425 9 1,416
1971 1,831 7 1,824
1970 2,186 11 2,175
1969 2,466 6 2,460
1968 2,671 13 2,658
1967 3,084 15 3,069
1966 3,742 14 3,728
1965 4,377 21 4,356
1964 5,195 20 5,175
1963 5,165 12 5,153
1962 5,122 15 5,107
1961 5,745 17 5,728
1960 6,110 17 6,093
1959 6,897 21 6,876
1958 8,307 29 8,278
1957 7,798 14 7,784
1956 6,938 19 6,919
1955 5,651 10 5,641
1954 5,520 10 5,510
1953 5,601 10 5,591
1952 5,435 8 5,427
1951 5,036 6 5,030
1950 4,841 11 4,830
1949 4,808 9 4,799
1948 4,700 8 4,692
1947 5,269 14 5,255
1946 4,676 14 4,662
1945 3,644 18 3,626
1944 3,545 13 3,532
1943 3,786 12 3,774
1942 3,535 18 3,517
1941 3,363 19 3,344
1940 3,135 15 3,120
1939 3,299 12 3,287
1938 3,335 14 3,321
1937 3,301 16 3,285
1936 2,968 6 2,962
1935 2,710 7 2,703
1934 2,622 17 2,605
1933 2,418 10 2,408
1932 2,027 7 2,020
1931 1,833 11 1,822
1930 1,552 9 1,543
1929 1,302 0 1,302
1928 1,193 7 1,186
1927 1,114 5 1,109
1926 875 0 875
1925 741 0 741
1924 638 0 638
1923 493 0 493
1922 423 0 423
1921 384 0 384
1920 275 0 275
1919 229 0 229
1918 181 0 181
1917 170 0 170
1916 131 0 131
1915 89 0 89
1914 81 0 81
1913 50 0 50
1912 30 0 30
1911 20 0 20
1910 19 0 19
1909 18 0 18
1908 14 0 14
1907 12 0 12
1906 6 0 6
1905 6 0 6
1904 11 0 11
1903 8 0 8
1902 8 0 8
1901 9 0 9
1899 6 0 6
1896 5 0 5

Top States for Darlene (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 37
57%
TX 11
17%
NY 6
9%
FL 6
9%
OH 5
8%