The first name Darwin
A boy’s name from English meaning “a given name”, “dear”, “friend”.
Pronounced /ˈdɑɹwɪn/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
English origin
Darwin means “a given name”, “dear”, “friend” in English.
From Middle English Darwin, Derwin, from Old English Dēorwine (“a given name”), composed of dēore (“dear”) + wine (“friend”). The city in Australia is named after Charles Darwin.
More names that mean friend, love.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 18 boys were named Darwin, making it the 1,466th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2018, with 28 births (#1,013).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Darwin with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Darwin at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 241 boys born in the United States were named Darwin, the 961st most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1958, when 418 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Darwin in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Darwin in German, Polish, Portuguese and Romanian too.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Darwen
- Derwin
Famous people named Darwin
7 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Darwin QuinteroColombian footballer, born 1987
- Darwin AndradeColombian footballer, born 1991
- Darwin ShawBritish actor, born 2000
- Darwin BarneyAmerican baseball player, born 1985
- Darwin JostonAmerican actor (1937-1998)
- Darwin PeñaBolivian footballer, born 1977
- Erasmus D. KeyesBusinessman, banker, and military general (1810-1895)
More English boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Darwin mean?
- Darwin means “a given name”, “dear”, “friend” in English.
- What is the origin of the name Darwin?
- From Middle English Darwin, Derwin, from Old English Dēorwine (“a given name”), composed of dēore (“dear”) + wine (“friend”). The city in Australia is named after Charles Darwin.
- How popular is the name Darwin?
- In 2025, 18 boys born in England and Wales were named Darwin, ranking 1,466th. Its peak was 2018, with 28 births.
- Is Darwin a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 26,436 US babies named Darwin since 1880 were boys.
- When was Darwin most popular?
- 1958 in the United States, when 418 babies were named Darwin, its highest rank at 380th.
- How do you pronounce Darwin?
- Darwin is /ˈdɑɹwɪn/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Darwin?
- Darwen and Derwin.
- Is Darwin also a surname?
- Yes. Darwin is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.