Darren
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- DA-ren
- UK rank, 2025
- #916 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #1,132 for boys
- Style
- Big in Scotland, big in Northern Ireland
Darren is a boys' name. In 2025 it ranked 916th for boys in the UK (37 babies) and 1,132nd for boys in the US (187 babies).
What does Darren mean?
From a surname of uncertain origin
Took off as a first name in the 1960s after Darrin Stephens, the husband in the TV comedy Bewitched.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Darren a girl's or a boy's name?
Darren is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 37 boys in the UK and 187 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Darren in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 916th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 37 about 1 in 8,100 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 15% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 37 boys in the UK were named Darren, making it the 916th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 825th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 605 boys.
Half of all the boys named Darren in the UK since 1996 were born between 1998 and 2007. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2025, 50 boys in the UK were given Darren or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #682, up from #916 for this spelling alone.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,066th in England and Wales, 560th in Scotland and 344th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1964 (#66), 1974 (#15), 1984 (#33) and 1994 (#100).
Darren in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 37 | #916 |
| 2024 | 34 | #984 |
| 2023 | 29 | #1,098 |
| 2022 | 46 | #785 |
| 2021 | 31 | #1,041 |
| 2020 | 41 | #825 |
| 2019 | 34 | #951 |
| 2018 | 43 | #826 |
| 2017 | 52 | #739 |
| 2016 | 73 | #580 |
| 2015 | 61 | #640 |
| 2014 | 69 | #586 |
| 2013 | 72 | #556 |
| 2012 | 99 | #447 |
| 2011 | 115 | #390 |
| 2010 | 127 | #367 |
| 2009 | 161 | #300 |
| 2008 | 161 | #293 |
| 2007 | 171 | #264 |
| 2006 | 183 | #239 |
| 2005 | 229 | #198 |
| 2004 | 212 | #202 |
| 2003 | 236 | #183 |
| 2002 | 237 | #176 |
| 2001 | 280 | #151 |
| 2000 | 315 | #139 |
| 1999 | 337 | #135 |
| 1998 | 487 | #117 |
| 1997 | 597 | #96 |
| 1996 | 605 | #96 |
How popular is Darren in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 1,132nd among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 187 about 1 in 9,100 boys
- Five-year trend
- Falling down 41% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 187 boys in the US were named Darren, making it the 1,132nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 718th. Its busiest year was 1965, with 5,938 boys. It first appears in the records in 1936.
2025 had fewer boys named Darren than any year since 1957.
Half of all the boys named Darren in the US since 1880 were born between 1967 and 1991, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 313 boys in the US were given Darren or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #748, up from #1,132 for this spelling alone.
Darren in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 187 | #1,132 |
| 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 |
| 2000 | 1,007 | #298 |
| 1999 | 1,029 | #283 |
| 1998 | 1,028 | #278 |
| 1997 | 1,020 | #274 |
| 1996 | 1,140 | #253 |
| 1995 | 1,290 | #230 |
| 1994 | 1,444 | #201 |
| 1993 | 1,432 | #210 |
| 1992 | 1,323 | #227 |
| 1991 | 1,306 | #226 |
| 1990 | 1,507 | #199 |
| 1989 | 1,625 | #183 |
| 1988 | 1,599 | #177 |
| 1987 | 1,602 | #170 |
| 1986 | 1,578 | #168 |
| 1985 | 1,701 | #161 |
| 1984 | 1,548 | #172 |
| 1983 | 1,599 | #164 |
| 1982 | 1,487 | #174 |
| 1981 | 1,426 | #176 |
| 1980 | 1,533 | #163 |
| 1979 | 1,503 | #164 |
| 1978 | 1,453 | #166 |
| 1977 | 1,503 | #158 |
| 1976 | 1,693 | #147 |
| 1975 | 2,032 | #126 |
| 1974 | 2,074 | #126 |
| 1973 | 2,288 | #112 |
| 1972 | 2,675 | #106 |
| 1971 | 3,156 | #100 |
| 1970 | 4,197 | #75 |
| 1969 | 4,660 | #60 |
| 1968 | 4,642 | #60 |
| 1967 | 4,440 | #63 |
| 1966 | 4,718 | #63 |
| 1965 | 5,938 | #52 |
| 1964 | 2,644 | #127 |
| 1963 | 2,081 | #158 |
| 1962 | 1,923 | #165 |
| 1961 | 1,783 | #174 |
| 1960 | 2,209 | #156 |
| 1959 | 1,299 | #213 |
| 1958 | 417 | #381 |
| 1957 | 71 | #896 |
| 1956 | 44 | #1,139 |
| 1955 | 34 | #1,293 |
| 1954 | 39 | #1,199 |
| 1953 | 43 | #1,122 |
| 1952 | 68 | #844 |
| 1951 | 22 | #1,597 |
| 1950 | 11 | #2,320 |
| 1949 | 5 | #3,688 |
| 1948 | 7 | #3,009 |
| 1947 | 11 | #2,355 |
| 1946 | 8 | #2,689 |
| 1945 | 9 | #2,392 |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 6 | #3,229 |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 6 | #3,132 |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 6 | #3,112 |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 7 | #2,853 |
Nicknames for Darren
- Daz
Names like Darren
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ryan, Dylan, Kevin, Declan, Daniel, Brayden, Regan, Aiden, Brian, Jason, Nathan, Aaron
Other spellings of Darren
Names related to Darren
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, “Darren: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/darren, updated 20 October 2026.