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Darwin

Gender
Boy
Say it
DAR-win
Origin
Old English
UK rank, 2025
#1,537 for boys
US rank, 2025
#960 for boys

Darwin is a boys' name of Old English origin, meaning “dear friend”. In 2025 it ranked 1,537th for boys in the UK (18 babies) and 960th for boys in the US (241 babies).

What does Darwin mean?

Old English: English surname from the personal name Deorwine

“dear friend”

Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species set out the theory of evolution by natural selection.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Darwin a girl's or a boy's name?

Darwin is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 18 boys in the UK and 241 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Darwin in the UK?

Rank in 2025
1,537th among boys
Babies in 2025
18 about 1 in 17,000 boys
Five-year trend
Steady up 11% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 18 boys in the UK were named Darwin, making it the 1,537th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,359th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 31 boys.

Half of all the boys named Darwin in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.

Among boys in 2025, it was 1,465th in England and Wales.

1996Busiest: 31 in 20242025
Darwin in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
202518#1,537
202431#1,041
202320#1,399
202223#1,270
202118#1,481
20209#2,359
201924#1,193
201829#1,067
201725#1,197
201620#1,403
201527#1,112
201428#1,079
201325#1,139
201223#1,234
201117#1,489
201020#1,342
200924#1,150
200812#1,810
200711#1,848
200612#1,640
20056#2,545
20046#2,399
200313#1,328
20028#1,728
20010–
20005#2,237
19991#3,925
19988#1,569
19970–
19966#1,840

How popular is Darwin in the US?

Rank in 2025
960th among boys
Babies in 2025
241 about 1 in 7,100 boys
Five-year trend
Steady up 8% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 241 boys in the US were named Darwin, making it the 960th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 905th. Its busiest year was 1958, with 418 boys. It first appears in the records in 1881.

Half of all the boys named Darwin in the US since 1880 were born between 1940 and 1997, the years shaded on the chart below.

1881Busiest: 418 in 19582025
Darwin in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025241#960
2024293#838
2023228#970
2022229#982
2021196#1,081
2020248#905
2019223#957
2018237#907
2017266#833
2016263#855
2015256#869
2014236#909
2013259#829
2012248#855
2011291#773
2010313#732
2009314#740
2008280#785
2007261#820
2006266#781
2005212#866
2004217#819
2003197#870
2002179#900
2001180#877
2000146#1,004
1999129#1,056
1998132#1,020
1997136#964
1996105#1,125
1995120#1,011
1994137#940
1993136#919
1992126#953
1991143#878
1990128#906
1989148#811
1988129#835
1987115#869
1986106#880
1985107#877
1984122#784
198396#895
198288#957
1981120#800
1980119#804
1979102#858
1978106#831
1977118#786
197684#905
1975125#747
1974144#677
1973144#665
1972142#675
1971191#600
1970207#563
1969260#474
1968297#444
1967299#437
1966332#415
1965383#403
1964354#426
1963347#429
1962398#404
1961374#408
1960392#398
1959397#399
1958418#380
1957382#395
1956371#388
1955343#389
1954320#399
1953313#396
1952299#397
1951323#377
1950324#376
1949302#386
1948295#395
1947350#369
1946298#378
1945235#390
1944303#343
1943332#334
1942326#336
1941283#345
1940309#320
1939332#306
1938338#297
1937299#309
1936304#305
1935330#299
1934300#314
1933300#308
1932281#330
1931259#339
1930280#332
1929278#332
1928252#367
1927242#377
1926202#426
1925225#398
1924218#414
1923215#409
1922188#445
1921214#415
1920174#459
1919155#481
1918156#472
1917133#497
1916150#464
1915139#466
191475#579
191374#503
191245#608
191119#732
191018#707
190911#893
190811#825
190711#814
19067#1,003
19050–
19048#874
19035#1,129
19020–
19018#778
19005#1,309
18990–
18988#803
18977#851
18960–
18950–
18940–
18935#1,034
18920–
18910–
18900–
18898#722
18880–
18870–
18860–
18850–
18845#971
18830–
18825#942
18815#865

Names like Darwin

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Teddy, Robin, Frankie, Bobby, Tommy, Austin, Freddie, Ronnie, Vincent, Sonny, Roman, Rudy

Names related to Darwin

Darian, Darin, Drin, Daren, Darien, Daryn, Darion, Darrin, Darrion, Daron

More Old English names

Alfie, Edward, Waylon, Alfred, Audrey, Edith, Wilfred, Ozzy, Edie, Eddie, Edwin, Ted, Teddie, Eduardo, Edgar, Alden

Every Old English name

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, “Darwin: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/darwin, updated 20 October 2026.