Given name
Daryl
“one who is greatly loved”
Daryl is used as a given name. One English interpretation is “one who is greatly loved.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “one who is greatly loved.”
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. In English use, Daryl is a variant of Darrell. The history of Darrell gives this family its wider story. Darrell’s naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Daryl through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 67,477
- 63,058 boys · 4,419 girls
- Most popular year
- 1956
- 1,968 babies
- 2025
- 113
- #1,529 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −21%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 99% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 113 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,529 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 19.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,832 in 1956. 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 50,922 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.
Daryl’s family of names
In English usage, Daryl has a related form in Darrell. Daryl has a related form in Darrell. Daryl has a related form in Darryl.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 24
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Daryl
- Daryl HannahAmerican actress and director (born 1960)
- Daryl SabaraAmerican actor (born 1992)
- Daryl JanmaatDutch association football player (born 1989)
- Daryl MurphyIrish association football playerborn 1983
- Daryl ImpeySouth African racing cyclistborn 1984
- Daryl HomerAmerican fencerborn 1990
- Daryl HallAmerican musicianborn 1946
- Daryl McCormackIrish actorborn 1993
- Daryl StuermerAmerican guitaristborn 1952
Characters named Daryl: Daryl Dixon (the television series The Walking Dead).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Daryl, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Darwin
“a beloved friend”
99% boys · 1% girls
Dale
“from the small valley” · “from the valley”
97% boys · 3% girls
Dan
“he judged”
97% boys · 3% girls
Darvin
“a beloved friend”
>99% boys
Darren
“a great man” · “a gift from God”
>99% boys
Derwin
“a friend of the deer; a gifted friend”
>99% boys
Daron
“the great one” · “from a small rocky hill”
>99% boys
Hal
“the ruler of the house” · “home”
>99% boys