Darlene
Girl name · #1845 in 2025 · Very rare
Darlene is currently the #1845 girl name in the United States — 108 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1437, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 16,667 girls born in 2025 was named Darlene.
Babies named Darlene per year. Source: SSA.
The 129-year story
Darlene first appears in the Social Security records in 1896, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1958, when 8,278 girls were named Darlene — good for #49 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Darlene against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Darlene in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Darlene is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Darlene will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Darlene is most common
State-level data for Darlene is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Darlene
Statistically, parents drawn to Darlene tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Charlene, Diane, Denise, Marianne, and Suzanne.
CharleneDianeDeniseMarianneSuzanneFrancineYvonneAnnette
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Darlene | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 108 | #1844 |
| 2024 | 113 | #1779 |
| 2023 | 108 | #1850 |
| 2022 | 108 | #1870 |
| 2021 | 103 | #1910 |
| 2020 | 110 | #1792 |
| 2019 | 122 | #1708 |
| 2018 | 134 | #1595 |
| 2017 | 146 | #1515 |
| 2016 | 144 | #1550 |
| 2015 | 160 | #1437 |
| 2014 | 171 | #1362 |
| 2013 | 187 | #1267 |
| 2012 | 217 | #1132 |
| 2011 | 196 | #1224 |
| 2010 | 208 | #1165 |
| 2009 | 215 | #1167 |
| 2008 | 236 | #1100 |
| 2007 | 223 | #1147 |
| 2006 | 244 | #1050 |
| 2005 | 225 | #1061 |
| 2004 | 236 | #997 |
| 2003 | 203 | #1084 |
| 2002 | 251 | #894 |
| 2001 | 266 | #855 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Darlene a popular girl name?
Darlene ranked #1845 among girls in 2025 with 108 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1437.
When was the name Darlene most popular?
Darlene peaked in 1958, when 8,278 American girls received the name (ranked #49 that year). Since 1958 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Darlene?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 16,667 newborn American girls was named Darlene. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.