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2025 data, released 8 May 2026

2025 data, released 8 May 2026

Darline

Darline was not among the names given to 5 or more girls in 2025. Its best year was 1933, when it ranked 624th; the most babies were born in 1927 (129). More babies were named Darline in the 1930s than in any other decade.

Meaning (as Darlene) 20th-century coinage (darling + -lene) · American English, Old English

Rank in 2025
Not rankedgirls
Babies in 2025
0girls
Girls and boys
Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
Peak year
1927129 babies
Total since 1880
5,050babies recorded

What does the name Darline mean?

Darline 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

Darline popularity since 1880

050100150200 1900192019401960198020002020
Girls Babies per year, US, from Social Security records. Years with fewer than 5 babies show as zero.
YearRank (girls)Babies (girls)
2025——
2020#15,6925
2010#12,5728
2000#8,16012
1990#4,03525
1980#5,30313
1970#2,08839
1960#1,12693
1950#98186
1940#88865
1930#70297
1920#1,13744
1910#1,54610
1900——
1890——
1880——

How popular is Darline, counting every spelling?

Darline is a spelling of Darlene, a name family that ranked #1,148 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together. Together these spellings went to 190 girls in 2025.

SpellingBabies 2025Official rankBabies 2021–2025
Darlene108#1,847540
Darlyn32#4,379222
Darlin35#4,091122
Darleen10#9,60749

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 old are people named Darline?

About 2,700 people born in the US named Darline are alive today, with a median age of 65; half are between 50 and 75. That makes Darline a name most people associate with older generations.

0–910–1920–2930–3940–4950–5960–6970–7980–8990+
Estimated people alive in the US with the name, by age, mid-2026. The darker bar holds the median age.

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.

Darline by state

How common Darline was among girls born in each state in 1925–1929, around its peak. It is notably more common than nationally in Nebraska (6.9×), Kansas (5.2×), Iowa (4.8×), Missouri (3.7×), Minnesota (3.5×). In 40 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.

Alaska: fewer than 5 a yearAK–Maine: fewer than 5 a yearME–Wisconsin: 0.05 per 1,000 babiesWI0.05Vermont: fewer than 5 a yearVT–New Hampshire: fewer than 5 a yearNH–Washington: fewer than 5 a yearWA–Idaho: fewer than 5 a yearID–Montana: fewer than 5 a yearMT–North Dakota: fewer than 5 a yearND–Minnesota: 0.29 per 1,000 babiesMN0.29Illinois: 0.13 per 1,000 babiesIL0.13Michigan: 0.08 per 1,000 babiesMI0.08New York: fewer than 5 a yearNY–Massachusetts: fewer than 5 a yearMA–Oregon: fewer than 5 a yearOR–Nevada: fewer than 5 a yearNV–Wyoming: fewer than 5 a yearWY–South Dakota: fewer than 5 a yearSD–Iowa: 0.40 per 1,000 babiesIA0.40Indiana: fewer than 5 a yearIN–Ohio: fewer than 5 a yearOH–Pennsylvania: fewer than 5 a yearPA–New Jersey: fewer than 5 a yearNJ–Connecticut: fewer than 5 a yearCT–Rhode Island: fewer than 5 a yearRI–California: 0.12 per 1,000 babiesCA0.12Utah: fewer than 5 a yearUT–Colorado: fewer than 5 a yearCO–Nebraska: 0.57 per 1,000 babiesNE0.57Missouri: 0.30 per 1,000 babiesMO0.30Kentucky: fewer than 5 a yearKY–West Virginia: fewer than 5 a yearWV–Virginia: fewer than 5 a yearVA–Maryland: fewer than 5 a yearMD–Delaware: fewer than 5 a yearDE–Arizona: fewer than 5 a yearAZ–New Mexico: fewer than 5 a yearNM–Kansas: 0.43 per 1,000 babiesKS0.43Arkansas: fewer than 5 a yearAR–Tennessee: fewer than 5 a yearTN–North Carolina: fewer than 5 a yearNC–South Carolina: fewer than 5 a yearSC–District of Columbia: fewer than 5 a yearDC–Oklahoma: 0.14 per 1,000 babiesOK0.14Louisiana: fewer than 5 a yearLA–Mississippi: fewer than 5 a yearMS–Alabama: fewer than 5 a yearAL–Georgia: fewer than 5 a yearGA–Hawaii: fewer than 5 a yearHI–Texas: 0.08 per 1,000 babiesTX0.08Florida: fewer than 5 a yearFL–
Babies per 1,000 of the same sex, Darline, girls, 1925–1929. Darker means more common.

Names with a similar history

These names rose and fell in step with Darline: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Darline, they share its era and feel.

Questions about the name Darline

What does Darline mean?

Darline is a spelling of Darlene, which means “20th-century coinage (darling + -lene)” (American English, Old English origin). Certainty: probable.

How popular is the name Darline?

Darline was not among the names given to 5 or more girls in 2025. Its best year was 1933, when it ranked 624th; the most babies were born in 1927 (129). More babies were named Darline in the 1930s than in any other decade.

Is Darline a boy or girl name?

In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Darline in the US.

Where was Darline most popular?

In 1925–1929, Darline was most common in Nebraska (0.57 per 1,000 girls), followed by Kansas and Iowa.