Darren

Darren - A very unique male name

Darren appeared on the charts for the first time in 1947 on position #1620. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Darren and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Darren? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Darren. The baby boy name Darren was given to 134 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1144 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 10,942 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Darren peaked in popularity 61 years ago in 1965 on position 52.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Darren, 1-5?

Darren is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Darren is currently topping the baby name charts in Kentucky at position #733 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #1,504.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Darren is where you live.

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Darren origin and meaning

Irish/English — exact derivation disputed

Uncertain — often linked to the Irish name Darragh or to a transferred surname, but no derivation is established

Darren rose in mid-20th-century Britain and America without a clear paper trail: it is variously explained as an Irish name related to Darragh, a form of Darin, or a surname transfer, and none of these is proven. What is documented is its arc — it peaked in the US in 1965 with nearly 6,000 births and has been falling for decades. Today it reads as a friendly dad-generation name.

Origin uncertain

Darren is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Darren, pop culture references for the name Darren and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Darren

We've found the following names that sound similar to Darren, sorted by popularity.

Darin / Darrin / Dorian / Darwin / Darian / Darien / Daren / Darion / Daron / Darron /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Darren

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Darren a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Darren?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

DAIR-en · /ˈdærən/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Darrin — A common respelling that peaked in the same era
• Darin — A shorter spelling — a separate established name
• Darron — Another period respelling

Nicknames: DarDaz

Famous bearers

• Darren Aronofsky — Film director (Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan, The Whale) (b. 1969) Contemporary
• Darren Criss — Actor and singer, star of Glee (b. 1987) Contemporary

Style

Classic

Why parents choose it

Parents choosing Darren now are usually honouring a family member or deliberately reviving a warm, unpretentious 1960s name.

Worth knowing

• It has been falling since its 1965 peak and will strike many people as a dad's name rather than a child's