Darlin
Darlin was the 4091st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 35 babies. Its best year was 1954, when it ranked 3770th; the most babies were born in 2007 (35). Over the last ten years it has moved up 4,999 places. More babies were named Darlin in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Darlene) 20th-century coinage (darling + -lene) · American English, Old English
- Rank in 2025
- #4,091 girls, up 832 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 35girls
- Girls and boys
- 78% girls, 22% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 200735 babies
- Total since 1880
- 936babies recorded
What does the name Darlin mean?
Darlin is a spelling of Darlene, pronounced the same way, so it shares Darlene's meaning and origin.
Darlene is a 20th-century coinage from the word darling and names such as Charlene and Marlene, as Wiktionary notes. Darling comes from Old English dēorling, from dēore 'dear'. Darlene was popular in the US in the 1930s to 1950s. Its meaning is that of the word darling rather than an inherited name.
dēorling (Old English, “darling”)dēore (Old English, “dear”)
How sure is this? Probable.
Related names: Darla, Charlene, Marlene.
See also: American names, names that mean love.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Darlene', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'darling' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Darlin popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,091 | #8,404 | 35 | 9 |
| 2020 | #4,923 | #12,466 | 26 | 5 |
| 2010 | #5,465 | — | 25 | — |
| 2000 | #6,007 | — | 18 | — |
| 1990 | #8,026 | — | 10 | — |
| 1980 | — | — | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | #4,405 | — | 7 | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Darlin, counting every spelling?
Darlin is a spelling of Darlene, a name family that ranked #1,148 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #4,091 for Darlin on its own. Together these spellings went to 190 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darlene | 108 | #1,847 | 540 |
| Darlyn | 32 | #4,379 | 222 |
| Darlin | 35 | #4,091 | 122 |
| Darleen | 10 | #9,607 | 49 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Darlin?
35 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Darlin (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Darlin born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 240 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Darlin.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Darlin?
About 800 people born in the US named Darlin are alive today, with a median age of 19; half are between 10 and 28. That makes Darlin mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Darlin by state
How common Darlin was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 49 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Darlin: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Darlin, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Darlin
What does Darlin mean?
Darlin is a spelling of Darlene, which means “20th-century coinage (darling + -lene)” (American English, Old English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Darlin?
Darlin was the 4091st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 35 babies. Its best year was 1954, when it ranked 3770th; the most babies were born in 2007 (35). Over the last ten years it has moved up 4,999 places. More babies were named Darlin in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Darlin a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 78% girls, 22% boys given the name Darlin in the US.
Where is Darlin most popular?
In 2021–2025, Darlin was most common in Texas (0.01 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and California.