boys' name ★ peaked 1958

Darwin

Meaning a given name Gender Boy Rank 2025 #961 Trend ↑ Rising 12%

From Middle English Darwin, Derwin, from Old English Dēorwine (“a given name”), composed of dēore (“dear”) + wine (“friend”).

Rank 2025
#961
among boys · ↓122 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
241
named Darwin · -18% vs 2024
How common
1 in 7,087
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1958
425 babies
All-time total
26,436
#724 all-time among boys
First recorded
1881
in Social Security records

Darwin popularity over time

26,436 babies have been named Darwin since 1881, 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
0.10.20.30.418801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 23 23 2 – #734
1890s – 20 20 2 -13% #823
1900s – 66 66 7 +230% #792
1910s – 964 964 96 +1361% #465
1920s – 2,208 2,208 221 +129% #332
1930s 13 3,023 3,036 304 +38% #297
1940s – 3,033 3,033 303 0% #320
1950s 7 3,490 3,497 350 +15% #377
1960s 11 3,436 3,447 345 -1% #399
1970s – 1,363 1,363 136 -60% #563
1980s – 1,150 1,150 115 -16% #784
1990s 5 1,292 1,297 130 +13% #883
2000s 15 2,252 2,267 227 +75% #740
2010s 38 2,592 2,630 263 +16% #732
2020s (to 2025) – 1,435 1,435 239 -9% #839

Where Darwin 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 246 0.14 outside top 500
2027 250 0.15 outside top 500
2028 254 0.15 outside top 500
2029 257 0.15 outside top 500
2030 260 0.15 outside top 500

Where Darwin is most popular

Boys named Darwin per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.137 per 1,000. Strongest in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Virginia.

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 Darwin 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
New Jersey 56 0.278 +102%
Massachusetts 38 0.276 +101%
Virginia 47 0.248 +80%
Florida 117 0.247 +80%
Maryland 29 0.243 +77%
New York 89 0.206 +50%
North Carolina 46 0.180 +31%
Tennessee 30 0.166 +21%
Connecticut 11 0.162 +18%
Iowa 11 0.160 +16%
Indiana 25 0.156 +13%
Pennsylvania 39 0.147 +7%
Texas 128 0.145 +6%
California 126 0.138 ≈ national
Georgia 34 0.134 ≈ national
Ohio 35 0.132 ≈ national
Louisiana 12 0.117 -15%
Washington 17 0.104 -24%
Alabama 11 0.101 -27%
Minnesota 11 0.090 -35%
Missouri 10 0.072 -48%
Arizona 10 0.061 -56%
Colorado 6 0.046 -66%
Wisconsin 5 0.042 -69%
Illinois 10 0.039 -72%
Alaska – – –
Arkansas – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
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 Darwin

Darwin is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #961 in 2025 with 241 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1881, 26,436 American babies have been named Darwin. Its peak came in 1958, when 425 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

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 Darwin stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Darwin?

The median living Darwin is about 46 years old; half are between 17 and 66. An estimated 17 thousand people named Darwin are alive in the United States today.

median 46 020406080100

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

Darwin 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 – – 241 #961
2024 – – 293 #839
2023 – – 228 #970
2022 – – 229 #984
2021 – – 196 #1,083
2020 – – 248 #905
2019 – – 223 #958
2018 6 #14,233 237 #907
2017 6 #14,569 266 #833
2016 6 #14,781 263 #857
2015 – – 256 #869
2014 8 #12,214 236 #909
2013 – – 259 #829
2012 – – 248 #856
2011 5 #17,443 291 #773
2010 7 #13,830 313 #732
2009 5 #17,990 314 #740
2008 5 #18,212 280 #785
2007 – – 261 #822
2006 – – 266 #781
2005 – – 212 #866
2004 5 #16,753 217 #820
2003 – – 197 #871
2002 – – 179 #901
2001 – – 180 #878
2000 – – 146 #1,007
1995 5 #13,956 120 #1,014
1990 – – 128 #910
1985 – – 107 #877
1980 – – 119 #805
1975 – – 125 #747
1970 – – 207 #563
1965 – – 383 #403
1960 – – 392 #399
1955 – – 343 #390
1950 – – 324 #377
1945 – – 235 #390
1940 – – 309 #320
1935 – – 330 #299
1930 – – 280 #332
1925 – – 225 #398
1920 – – 174 #460
1915 – – 139 #467
1910 – – 18 #714
1905 – – – –
1900 – – 5 #1,357
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Darwin

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

  1. 1 Darwin Machís Darwin Machís Venezuelan footballer (born 1993) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Darwin?

The median living Darwin is about 46 years old. Half of all living Darwins are between 17 and 66 years old.

How many people named Darwin are alive today?

An estimated 17 thousand people named Darwin are alive in the United States, based on 26,436 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Darwin mean?

From Middle English Darwin, Derwin, from Old English Dēorwine (“a given name”), composed of dēore (“dear”) + wine (“friend”).

How popular is the name Darwin in 2025?

Darwin ranked #961 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 241 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Darwin?

26,436 babies have been named Darwin in the United States since 1881, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Darwin most popular?

Darwin peaked in 1958, when 425 newborns received the name.

Is Darwin a boy or girl name?

Darwin is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Darwin rising or falling?

Darwin has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Darwin become more popular?

Darwin is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 260 boys named Darwin 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 Darwin?

Well-known people named Darwin include Darwin Machís (soccer player).

Names like Darwin

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

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