Darren
Boy name · #1133 in 2025 · Very rare
Darren is currently the #1133 boy name in the United States — 187 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #542, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 9,626 boys born in 2025 was named Darren.
Babies named Darren per year. Source: SSA.
The 89-year story
Darren first appears in the Social Security records in 1936, when 7 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1965, when 5,938 boys were named Darren — good for #52 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 Darren against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Darren in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Darren is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Darren will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Darren is most common
Geography matters for names, and Darren is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Darren is most common in PA (0.2 per 1,000), FL (0.2 per 1,000), NY (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Darren is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Darren
Statistically, parents drawn to Darren tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Daren, Loren, Dwayne, Glenn, and Dion.
DarenLorenDwayneGlennDionRodneyKelvinGordon
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Darren | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 187 | #1132 |
| 2024 | 240 | #954 |
| 2023 | 224 | #977 |
| 2022 | 284 | #853 |
| 2021 | 305 | #803 |
| 2020 | 345 | #718 |
| 2019 | 374 | #684 |
| 2018 | 393 | #653 |
| 2017 | 463 | #586 |
| 2016 | 528 | #548 |
| 2015 | 527 | #542 |
| 2014 | 569 | #494 |
| 2013 | 593 | #468 |
| 2012 | 667 | #423 |
| 2011 | 681 | #415 |
| 2010 | 695 | #407 |
| 2009 | 765 | #393 |
| 2008 | 799 | #384 |
| 2007 | 876 | #361 |
| 2006 | 824 | #361 |
| 2005 | 864 | #343 |
| 2004 | 891 | #336 |
| 2003 | 977 | #305 |
| 2002 | 969 | #302 |
| 2001 | 948 | #304 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Darren a popular boy name?
Darren ranked #1133 among boys in 2025 with 187 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #542.
When was the name Darren most popular?
Darren peaked in 1965, when 5,938 American boys received the name (ranked #52 that year). Since 1965 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Darren?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 9,626 newborn American boys was named Darren. 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.