Darling
Girl name · #3306 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Darling? In official American birth records, Darling has been tracked continuously since 1920, giving it 105 years of documented American history.
Darling ranks #3306 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 47 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #5833, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 38,298 girls born in 2025 was named Darling.
Babies named Darling per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 105-year story
Darling first appears in the Social Security records in 1920, when 7 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 47 babies and a rank of #3335. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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 Darling against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Darling in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Darling is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Darling will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Darling is most common
State-level data for Darling 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 Darling
Statistically, parents drawn to Darling tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Sterling, Aisling, Dariela, Blessing, and Delina.
SterlingAislingDarielaBlessingDelinaDivinaDelanyDempsey
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Darling | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 47 | #3296 |
| 2024 | 47 | #3335 |
| 2023 | 33 | #4276 |
| 2022 | 22 | #5638 |
| 2021 | 28 | #4719 |
| 2020 | 35 | #4005 |
| 2019 | 27 | #4909 |
| 2018 | 20 | #6010 |
| 2017 | 25 | #5191 |
| 2016 | 25 | #5284 |
| 2015 | 22 | #5833 |
| 2014 | 29 | #4768 |
| 2013 | 24 | #5486 |
| 2012 | 18 | #6872 |
| 2011 | 21 | #6148 |
| 2010 | 17 | #7217 |
| 2009 | 17 | #7341 |
| 2008 | 16 | #7742 |
| 2007 | 21 | #6323 |
| 2006 | 19 | #6592 |
| 2005 | 12 | #8883 |
| 2004 | 15 | #7391 |
| 2003 | 12 | #8505 |
| 2002 | 16 | #6698 |
| 2001 | 11 | #8758 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Darling?
In official American birth records, the name Darling first appeared in 1920 (over 105 years ago), when 7 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 105 years.
Is Darling a popular girl name?
Darling ranked #3306 among girls in 2025 with 47 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #5833.
When was the name Darling most popular?
Darling peaked in 2024, when 47 American girls received the name (ranked #3335 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Darling?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 38,298 newborn American girls was named Darling. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.