Darby
- Gender
- Mostly girls
- Say it
- DAR-bee
- Origin
- Old Norse
- UK rank, 2025
- #2,509 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #2,564 for girls
Big in Scotland
Darby is a name of Old Norse origin, meaning “deer farm”. In 2025 it ranked 2,509th for girls in the UK (11 babies) and 2,564th for girls in the US (68 babies).
What does Darby mean?
Old Norse: old spelling of the place name Derby, from Old Norse
“deer farm”
An old spelling of Derby; Darby and Joan has long been a byword for a devoted elderly couple.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Darby a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Darby has been given to girls and boys, mostly girls. In 2025, it was given to 11 girls in the UK and 68 girls and 13 boys in the US.
How popular is Darby in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,509among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 11about 1 in 25,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 3% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 11 girls in the UK were named Darby, making it the 2,509th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,780th. Its busiest year was 2021, with 24 girls.
Half of all the girls named Darby in the UK since 1996 were born between 2004 and 2021. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
In 2024, 72% of the babies named Darby in the UK were girls.
Among girls in 2025, it was 3,033rd in England and Wales and 780th in Scotland.
Darby in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11 | #2,509 |
| 2024 | 18 | #1,726 |
| 2023 | 11 | #2,481 |
| 2022 | 21 | #1,527 |
| 2021 | 24 | #1,393 |
| 2020 | 17 | #1,780 |
| 2019 | 10 | #2,590 |
| 2018 | 12 | #2,320 |
| 2017 | 13 | #2,210 |
| 2016 | 9 | #2,893 |
| 2015 | 12 | #2,328 |
| 2014 | 5 | #4,187 |
| 2013 | 5 | #4,267 |
| 2012 | 6 | #3,881 |
| 2011 | 4 | #4,980 |
| 2010 | 8 | #2,992 |
| 2009 | 13 | #2,037 |
| 2008 | 13 | #2,046 |
| 2007 | 1 | #7,017 |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 4 | #4,150 |
| 2004 | 5 | #3,356 |
| 2003 | 4 | #3,768 |
| 2002 | 1 | #5,540 |
| 2001 | 8 | #2,150 |
| 2000 | 11 | #1,689 |
| 1999 | 12 | #1,576 |
| 1998 | 10 | #1,815 |
| 1997 | 15 | #1,333 |
| 1996 | 11 | #1,621 |
How popular is Darby in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,564among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 68about 1 in 24,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 26% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 68 girls in the US were named Darby, making it the 2,564th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,196th. Its busiest year was 1995, with 491 girls. It first appears in the records in 1936. 13 boys were also named Darby in 2025 (6,442nd for boys).
Half of all the girls named Darby in the US since 1880 were born between 1988 and 2007, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 84% of the babies named Darby in the US were girls.
Darby in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 68 | #2,564 |
| 2024 | 51 | #3,119 |
| 2023 | 74 | #2,415 |
| 2022 | 68 | #2,579 |
| 2021 | 95 | #2,024 |
| 2020 | 82 | #2,196 |
| 2019 | 89 | #2,109 |
| 2018 | 89 | #2,130 |
| 2017 | 123 | #1,721 |
| 2016 | 120 | #1,735 |
| 2015 | 110 | #1,861 |
| 2014 | 106 | #1,892 |
| 2013 | 119 | #1,737 |
| 2012 | 118 | #1,744 |
| 2011 | 136 | #1,592 |
| 2010 | 152 | #1,481 |
| 2009 | 136 | #1,639 |
| 2008 | 161 | #1,461 |
| 2007 | 189 | #1,292 |
| 2006 | 156 | #1,440 |
| 2005 | 197 | #1,168 |
| 2004 | 188 | #1,190 |
| 2003 | 215 | #1,053 |
| 2002 | 235 | #950 |
| 2001 | 217 | #988 |
| 2000 | 254 | #865 |
| 1999 | 298 | #749 |
| 1998 | 330 | #686 |
| 1997 | 401 | #578 |
| 1996 | 431 | #542 |
| 1995 | 491 | #499 |
| 1994 | 321 | #666 |
| 1993 | 126 | #1,323 |
| 1992 | 74 | #1,889 |
| 1991 | 59 | #2,209 |
| 1990 | 68 | #1,984 |
| 1989 | 72 | #1,830 |
| 1988 | 69 | #1,800 |
| 1987 | 51 | #2,127 |
| 1986 | 50 | #2,115 |
| 1985 | 84 | #1,472 |
| 1984 | 64 | #1,703 |
| 1983 | 67 | #1,644 |
| 1982 | 65 | #1,720 |
| 1981 | 95 | #1,319 |
| 1980 | 49 | #2,096 |
| 1979 | 55 | #1,897 |
| 1978 | 55 | #1,824 |
| 1977 | 50 | #1,952 |
| 1976 | 54 | #1,747 |
| 1975 | 43 | #2,023 |
| 1974 | 71 | #1,428 |
| 1973 | 46 | #1,832 |
| 1972 | 71 | #1,394 |
| 1971 | 88 | #1,253 |
| 1970 | 83 | #1,293 |
| 1969 | 53 | #1,648 |
| 1968 | 49 | #1,647 |
| 1967 | 52 | #1,559 |
| 1966 | 36 | #1,916 |
| 1965 | 32 | #2,064 |
| 1964 | 38 | #1,917 |
| 1963 | 36 | #1,951 |
| 1962 | 44 | #1,707 |
| 1961 | 53 | #1,552 |
| 1960 | 51 | #1,560 |
| 1959 | 34 | #1,917 |
| 1958 | 34 | #1,871 |
| 1957 | 27 | #2,120 |
| 1956 | 33 | #1,870 |
| 1955 | 51 | #1,403 |
| 1954 | 26 | #2,075 |
| 1953 | 17 | #2,594 |
| 1952 | 20 | #2,326 |
| 1951 | 16 | #2,576 |
| 1950 | 18 | #2,340 |
| 1949 | 27 | #1,844 |
| 1948 | 30 | #1,707 |
| 1947 | 22 | #2,088 |
| 1946 | 16 | #2,391 |
| 1945 | 10 | #2,915 |
| 1944 | 19 | #1,966 |
| 1943 | 18 | #2,078 |
| 1942 | 18 | #2,045 |
| 1941 | 7 | #3,557 |
| 1940 | 9 | #2,962 |
| 1939 | 8 | #3,143 |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 5 | #4,179 |
Names like Darby
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ivy Autumn Molly Robyn Daphne Lily Holly Eden Darcie Aubrey Riley Romy
Names related to Darby
More Old Norse names
Freya Ronnie Ralph Eric Astrid Colby Rafe Odin Ralphie Erik Freyja Erick Bo Ronald Bjorn Erica
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Darby: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/darby, updated 20 October 2026.