Given name & surname
Darel
“one who is greatly loved”·“one who is dearly loved”
Darel is a variant of Daryl. One English interpretation is “one who is greatly loved.” Darel is a variant of Darrel. One English interpretation is “one who is dearly loved.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Darel is a variant of Daryl. One English interpretation is “one who is greatly loved.” Darel is a variant of Darrel. One English interpretation is “one who is dearly loved.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Darel is a variant of Daryl. An origin associated with Daryl is English.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1915. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Darel through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,173
- 2,168 boys · 5 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 52 babies
- 2025
- 52
- #2,542 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +81%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 52 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,542 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 80.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (12). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,569 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Darel’s family of names
Darel has a related form in Daryl. Darel has a related form in Darrel.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Darel
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Darel, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Dariel
“one who is dearly loved”
99% boys · 1% girls
Aziel
“of the dry earth; resembling the flower” · “one who is spared by God”
99% boys · 1% girls
Raphael
“one who is healed by God”
>99% boys
Daxton
“from the French town Dax”
>99% boys
Adriel
“from God's flock”
98% boys · 2% girls
Ares
“Ares' dome” · “the containment of competition”
96% boys · 4% girls
Leonel
“resembling a lion” · “resembling a young lion”
>99% boys
Abel
“the life force; breath”
>99% boys