boys' name ★ peaked 1961

Darryl

Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #2,115 Trend ↓ Falling 33%

A male given name transferred from the surname, variant of Darrell.

Rank 2025
#2,115
among boys · ↓317 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
69
named Darryl · -24% vs 2024
How common
1 in 24,755
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1961
5,178 babies
All-time total
93,419
#330 all-time among boys
First recorded
1913
in Social Security records

Darryl popularity over time

93,419 babies have been named Darryl since 1913, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.751.52.25318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – 47 47 5 – #2,490
1920s – 124 124 12 +164% #1,535
1930s 28 1,558 1,586 159 +1179% #261
1940s 151 5,750 5,901 590 +272% #216
1950s 232 15,083 15,315 1,532 +160% #130
1960s 353 39,200 39,553 3,955 +158% #68
1970s 98 8,385 8,483 848 -79% #195
1980s 152 10,313 10,465 1,047 +23% #212
1990s 106 6,545 6,651 665 -36% #256
2000s 8 2,922 2,930 293 -56% #550
2010s 6 1,788 1,794 179 -39% #943
2020s (to 2025) – 570 570 95 -47% #1,479

Where Darryl is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 64 0.04 outside top 500
2027 61 0.04 outside top 500
2028 58 0.03 outside top 500
2029 56 0.03 outside top 500
2030 54 0.03 outside top 500

Where Darryl is most popular

Boys named Darryl per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.053 per 1,000. Strongest in Maryland, Virginia, and Georgia.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Darryl born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Maryland 11 0.092 +75%
Virginia 14 0.074 +40%
Georgia 18 0.071 +35%
North Carolina 18 0.070 +34%
Florida 29 0.061 +16%
Illinois 15 0.059 +11%
Louisiana 6 0.059 +11%
Pennsylvania 13 0.049 -7%
Alabama 5 0.046 -13%
Texas 34 0.039 -27%
Ohio 10 0.038 -28%
Missouri 5 0.036 -32%
California 27 0.030 -44%
New York 5 0.012 -78%
Alaska – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Darryl

Darryl is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,115 in 2025 with 69 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1913, 93,419 American babies have been named Darryl. Its peak came in 1961, when 5,178 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Darryl stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Darryl?

The median living Darryl is about 60 years old; half are between 43 and 64. An estimated 77 thousand people named Darryl are alive in the United States today.

median 60 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Darryl year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 69 #2,115
2024 – – 91 #1,798
2023 – – 89 #1,805
2022 – – 104 #1,656
2021 – – 102 #1,637
2020 – – 115 #1,479
2019 – – 133 #1,348
2018 – – 136 #1,329
2017 – – 138 #1,308
2016 – – 184 #1,073
2015 – – 193 #1,039
2014 – – 178 #1,083
2013 – – 192 #1,016
2012 – – 212 #952
2011 6 #15,295 209 #950
2010 – – 213 #943
2009 – – 235 #889
2008 – – 294 #756
2007 – – 242 #859
2006 – – 271 #768
2005 – – 260 #763
2004 – – 277 #697
2003 – – 281 #689
2002 – – 332 #606
2001 8 #11,269 346 #582
2000 – – 384 #550
1995 11 #7,644 538 #423
1990 13 #6,554 1,054 #256
1985 19 #4,166 1,126 #215
1980 8 #7,570 848 #259
1975 10 #5,627 674 #285
1970 14 #4,083 1,367 #195
1965 38 #1,862 4,925 #68
1960 45 #1,677 4,436 #96
1955 26 #2,119 1,425 #187
1950 13 #2,936 1,011 #203
1945 14 #2,358 470 #278
1940 7 #3,578 405 #279
1935 – – 135 #492
1930 – – 20 #1,657
1925 – – 16 #2,027
1920 – – – –
1915 – – 5 #3,957
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Darryl

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Darryl F. Zanuck Darryl F. Zanuck American film producer (1902–1979) Contemporary
  2. 2 Darryl Jones Darryl Jones American bassist (b. 1961) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Darryl, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Darryl?

The median living Darryl is about 60 years old. Half of all living Darryls are between 43 and 64 years old.

How many people named Darryl are alive today?

An estimated 77 thousand people named Darryl are alive in the United States, based on 93,419 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Darryl mean?

A male given name transferred from the surname, variant of Darrell.

How popular is the name Darryl in 2025?

Darryl ranked #2,115 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 69 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Darryl?

93,419 babies have been named Darryl in the United States since 1913, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Darryl most popular?

Darryl peaked in 1961, when 5,178 newborns received the name.

Is Darryl a boy or girl name?

Darryl is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Darryl rising or falling?

Darryl is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Darryl become more popular?

Darryl is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 54 boys named Darryl in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Darryl?

Well-known people named Darryl include Darryl F. Zanuck (producer), Darryl Jones (musician).

Names like Darryl

Names that sound and feel close to Darryl: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Darryl with similar names → More names starting with D →