# Darren (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/darren/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | boys |
| Origin | not recorded |
| Meaning | “oak” |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdæɹən/, 2 syllables |
| Nicknames | Dazza |
| Variant spellings | Daren, Darin, Darrin |
| US babies named this | 104,506 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 103,937 / 569 (1% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 3,069, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

Unknown. A twentieth-century invention, possibly from a rare Irish surname of obscure meaning, possibly from Dara or Daragh, meaning "oak". It is also the name of an old silver mine near Aberystwyth, Wales. * The name became popular, particularly in the UK, because of a character in the 1960s American TV series Bewitched, actually spelled Darrin. * (person with sense of entitlement): As a rhyming equivalent for Karen.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 12 | 5,623 |
| 1983 | 17 | 4,321 |
| 1984 | 14 | 5,010 |
| 1985 | 19 | 4,165 |
| 1986 | 14 | 5,242 |
| 1987 | 16 | 4,902 |
| 1988 | 11 | 6,757 |
| 1989 | 10 | 7,580 |
| 1990 | 7 | 10,481 |
| 1991 | 7 | 10,533 |
| 1992 | 7 | 10,762 |
| 1993 | 6 | 12,144 |
| 1994 | 11 | 7,735 |
| 1998 | 5 | 14,705 |
| 2017 | 7 | 13,042 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 681 | 415 |
| 2012 | 667 | 423 |
| 2013 | 593 | 468 |
| 2014 | 569 | 494 |
| 2015 | 527 | 543 |
| 2016 | 528 | 548 |
| 2017 | 463 | 586 |
| 2018 | 393 | 653 |
| 2019 | 374 | 684 |
| 2020 | 345 | 718 |
| 2021 | 305 | 803 |
| 2022 | 284 | 853 |
| 2023 | 224 | 978 |
| 2024 | 240 | 954 |
| 2025 | 187 | 1,135 |

### England and Wales, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 78 | 473 |
| 2012 | 74 | 507 |
| 2013 | 42 | 762 |
| 2014 | 45 | 714 |
| 2015 | 43 | 753 |
| 2016 | 55 | 641 |
| 2017 | 40 | 806 |
| 2018 | 25 | 1,097 |
| 2019 | 23 | 1,152 |
| 2020 | 26 | 1,051 |
| 2021 | 19 | 1,329 |
| 2022 | 30 | 993 |
| 2023 | 21 | 1,272 |
| 2024 | 26 | 1,108 |
| 2025 | 28 | 1,066 |

## People named Darren

- Darren Aronofsky, American filmmaker (born 1969)
- Darren Criss, American actor and singer
- Darren Bent, English association football player
- Darren Hayes, Australian pop singer
- Darren Anderton, English footballer (born 1972)
- Darren Star, American television producer, writer
- Darren Collison, American basketball player (born 1987)
- Darren Lynn Bouseman, American film director and screenwriter
- Darren Campbell, British sprinter (born 1973)
- Darren McGavin, American actor (1922–2006)
- Darren Barnet, American actor (born 1991)
- Darren Cahill, Australian tennis player and coach

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.