Darryl

Darryl - A very unique male name

Darryl appeared on the charts for the first time in 1929 on position #1289. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Darryl and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Darryl? 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 Darryl. The baby boy name Darryl was given to 20 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2430 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 73,314 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Darryl peaked in popularity 61 years ago in 1965 on position 69.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Darryl, 1-5?

Darryl is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Darryl is currently topping the baby name charts in North Carolina at position #1,054 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,134.

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 Darryl is where you live.

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Darryl origin and meaning

English, from a French place surname

From Airelle, a place in Normandy — Darryl is a spelling of the surname Darrell, brought to England as d'Airelle, 'from Airelle'

Darryl is the best-known spelling of Darrell, a Norman surname that became a first name in the United States. It peaked in 1961 at over 5,000 births and has fallen steadily since, giving it a distinctly mid-century feel today. The spelling splits three ways — Darryl, Darrell and Daryl — which is the name's main everyday friction.

Attested etymology

Darryl is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

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

Similar to Darryl

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

Darrell / Daryl / Darrel / Dariel / Derrell / Darell / Daryle / Darl / Durrell / Durell /

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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 Darryl

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 Darryl 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 Darryl?

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-uhl · /ˈdærəl/

Around the world

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

Spellings and nicknames

• Darrell — The surname spelling; also in the data as a first name
• Darrel — A simplified spelling
• Daryl — The spelling used by actress Daryl Hannah — a different spelling, not this one

Nicknames: Darry

Famous bearers

• Darryl Strawberry — Major League Baseball outfielder, a star of the 1980s Mets and Yankees (b. 1962) Contemporary
• Darryl McDaniels — Rapper known as DMC, co-founder of Run-DMC (b. 1964) Contemporary
• Darryl Dawkins — NBA centre famous for his backboard-shattering dunks; died in 2015, so typed contemporary under the died-2000-or-later rule (1957–2015) Contemporary

Style

SurnameClassic

Why parents choose it

Darryl reads as friendly, familiar and unmistakably retro — a dad-and-grandad name that now stands out precisely because so few babies get it.

Worth knowing

• Three common spellings (Darryl, Darrell, Daryl) mean constant spelling checks
• Feels dated to many ears, tied to its 1960s peak