Given name & surname
Darnell
“a secretive woman”·“from the hidden place”
Darnell is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “a secretive woman” (English) and “from the hidden place” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “a secretive woman” (English) and “from the hidden place” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1912. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Darnell through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 31,018
- 28,631 boys · 2,387 girls
- Most popular year
- 1984
- 770 babies
- 2025
- 56
- #2,423 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −39%
- Cooling
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 100% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 56 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,423 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 39.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 741 in 1984. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 20,319 as a first name in 2020; 16,514 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Darnell’s family of names
Darnell has a related form in Darnel. Darnell has a related form in Darnisha. Darnell has a related form in Darnelle.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 19
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Darnell
- Darnell JacksonAmerican basketball player (born 1985)
- Darnell HallAmerican sprinterborn 1971
- Darnell NurseCanadian ice hockey playerborn 1995
- Darnell FurlongEnglish association football playerborn 1995
- Darnell MartinAmerican film director and screenwriter (born 1964)
- Darnell HillmanAmerican basketball playerborn 1949
- Darnell RobinsonAmerican basketball player (born 1974)
- Darnell JohnsonEnglish association football player (born 1998)
- Darnell MeeAustralian basketball player (born 1971)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Darnell, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“a man from Denmark”
>99% boys
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Davonte
“one who is energetic”
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Dustin
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>99% boys
Demarcus
“the son of Marcus”
>99% boys
Daquan
“a high-spirited man”
>99% boys
Nigel
“the champion”
>99% boys
Derek
“the ruler of the tribe”
>99% boys