Darren
Darren was the 1135th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 187 babies. Its best year was 1965, when it ranked 52nd with 5,938 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 592 places. More babies were named Darren in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning 20th-century name (origin unknown) · American English, Irish
Say it DAIR-un /ˈdɛɹən/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,135 boys, down 417 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 187boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19655,938 babies
- Total since 1880
- 104,506babies recorded
What does the name Darren mean?
Darren's origin is unknown. Wiktionary describes it as a 20th-century invention, possibly from a rare Irish surname of obscure meaning, or from Dara or Daragh 'oak'. It became popular in the 1960s, especially in Britain, through Darrin Stephens in the American TV series Bewitched (1964) and the singer and actor James Darren.
How sure is this? Uncertain. Wiktionary: origin unknown; the 'oak' link is a possibility only.
Other explanations you may read: Irish 'little great one' or 'oak'.
Related names: Darin, Darrin, Daren.
See also: American names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Darren', 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)
Darren popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 569 since 1956.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,135 | 187 |
| 2020 | #718 | 345 |
| 2010 | #407 | 695 |
| 2000 | #298 | 1,007 |
| 1990 | #199 | 1,507 |
| 1980 | #163 | 1,533 |
| 1970 | #75 | 4,197 |
| 1960 | #156 | 2,209 |
| 1950 | #2,345 | 11 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Darren, counting every spelling?
Darren is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #929 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,135 for Darren on its own. Together these spellings went to 239 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darren | 187 | #1,135 | 1,240 |
| Daron | 33 | #3,460 | 143 |
| Darron | 12 | #6,895 | 70 |
| Darryn | 7 | #9,932 | 39 |
| Daaron | — | — | 33 |
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 Darren?
187 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Darren (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Darren 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 45 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Darren.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Darren?
About 93,000 people born in the US named Darren are alive today, with a median age of 49; half are between 33 and 58. That makes Darren mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Darren by state
How common Darren was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Louisiana (2.3×), Pennsylvania (1.6×), California (1.5×), New York (1.5×). In 22 states fewer than five boys 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 Darren: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Darren, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Darren · Sibling names for Darren
Questions about the name Darren
What does Darren mean?
Darren is usually explained as “20th-century name (origin unknown)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Darren?
Darren was the 1135th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 187 babies. Its best year was 1965, when it ranked 52nd with 5,938 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 592 places. More babies were named Darren in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Darren a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Darren in the US.
Where is Darren most popular?
In 2021–2025, Darren was most common in Louisiana (0.32 per 1,000 boys), followed by Pennsylvania and California.