Darrel Boy

Popularity: #921 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: DARE-el //ˈdɛr.əl//

Origin: English; French

Meaning: English: beloved; French: dear

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Darrel is believed to have originated from the Old French name "D'Airelle," which means "from Airelle," a place name in France. This name was derived from the Latin word "Agaricus," referring to a type of mushroom, which may have been a local reference to the area.

The transition into English occurred during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, when many French names were adopted into the English language, leading to the anglicized form Darrel. The name has also been linked to the Old English word "deor," meaning "animal" or "deer," which may have contributed to its adoption in various forms across different regions.

Historically, the name Darrel has been associated with several notable figures. In the 12th century, Darrel was used as a surname in England, and it appeared in various records throughout the medieval period.

The name gained further recognition in the 19th century through literary works and was sometimes seen in the context of English nobility. While not as prominent as some other names, it has been documented in various historical texts, indicating its presence in English-speaking cultures.

Culturally, the name Darrel has been associated with strength and resilience, qualities often attributed to its etymological roots. The name has also been linked to various diminutive forms, such as Darry or Daryl, which have appeared in literature and popular culture, further embedding the name in the social fabric of English-speaking communities.

Overall, Darrel carries a blend of historical significance and cultural resonance, reflecting its journey through language and time.

Famous people named Darrel

In this section, you will find notable people named Darrel. 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 Darrel who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Darrel 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.

Darrel S. Smith is a notable American artist best known for his contemporary paintings and installations.

Fictional characters named Darrel

The following list of fictional characters named Darrel 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.

Darrel is a fictional character from the novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. He is the older brother of Ponyboy Curtis and serves as a parental figure to him and their other brother, Sodapop.

Sibling suggestions

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

DarrenDariusDanteDamonDawsonDylan

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Darrel. 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.

DarylDarwinDarrenDariusDanteDamonDawsonDustin

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Darrel was first seen in the United States in 1900.

Darrel has ranked as high as #665 nationally, which occurred in 1960, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, and Minnesota.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Darrel 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 Darrel 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 Darrel.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 17 17 0
2024 18 18 0
2023 18 18 0
2022 20 20 0
2021 37 37 0
2020 21 21 0
2019 28 28 0
2018 29 29 0
2017 19 19 0
2016 22 22 0
2015 30 30 0
2014 48 48 0
2013 40 40 0
2012 35 35 0
2011 43 43 0
2010 34 34 0
2009 42 42 0
2008 47 47 0
2007 42 42 0
2006 57 57 0
2005 63 63 0
2004 42 42 0
2003 55 55 0
2002 49 49 0
2001 70 70 0
2000 71 71 0
1999 75 75 0
1998 75 75 0
1997 97 97 0
1996 86 86 0
1995 84 84 0
1994 94 94 0
1993 144 144 0
1992 130 130 0
1991 178 178 0
1990 173 173 0
1989 191 191 0
1988 185 185 0
1987 213 213 0
1986 179 179 0
1985 173 173 0
1984 175 175 0
1983 181 181 0
1982 174 174 0
1981 188 188 0
1980 203 203 0
1979 223 223 0
1978 205 205 0
1977 204 204 0
1976 209 209 0
1975 217 217 0
1974 257 252 5
1973 266 261 5
1972 343 343 0
1971 352 352 0
1970 397 392 5
1969 401 401 0
1968 486 486 0
1967 490 483 7
1966 513 507 6
1965 499 499 0
1964 596 596 0
1963 585 585 0
1962 642 637 5
1961 653 646 7
1960 664 659 5
1959 645 645 0
1958 635 627 8
1957 647 641 6
1956 629 629 0
1955 608 608 0
1954 617 609 8
1953 562 562 0
1952 587 581 6
1951 608 603 5
1950 536 530 6
1949 597 597 0
1948 564 564 0
1947 657 651 6
1946 568 568 0
1945 431 431 0
1944 474 469 5
1943 503 503 0
1942 526 526 0
1941 492 492 0
1940 479 474 5
1939 482 475 7
1938 472 467 5
1937 375 375 0
1936 408 408 0
1935 414 414 0
1934 358 358 0
1933 330 330 0
1932 343 338 5
1931 304 304 0
1930 265 265 0
1929 255 249 6
1928 244 244 0
1927 219 219 0
1926 215 215 0
1925 182 182 0
1924 206 206 0
1923 145 145 0
1922 151 151 0
1921 144 144 0
1920 143 143 0
1919 108 108 0
1918 105 105 0
1917 85 85 0
1916 92 92 0
1915 86 86 0
1914 42 42 0
1913 32 32 0
1912 42 42 0
1911 12 12 0
1910 8 8 0
1909 5 5 0
1908 8 8 0
1907 13 13 0
1906 8 8 0
1905 11 11 0
1903 6 6 0
1901 5 5 0
1900 7 7 0

Top States for Darrel (2021)

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
FL 5
100%