Fun Facts About the Name Darnelle
- 616 babies named Darnelle: U.S. records list 616 babies given the name Darnelle from 1880 through 2025. Even 249 girls received the name Darnelle.
What Does the Name Darnelle Mean?
Darnelle is a feminine spelling of the English surname-turned-given-name Darnell, and it carries the surname's meaning, usually given as "hidden hill." The first element is Old English dierne (also written derne), meaning "hidden" or "secret." The second element is most often identified with hyll, "hill." Some explanations instead connect it to halh, "a nook or hollow," which would give the sense "hidden nook." These readings reflect the several English places named Darnall or Darnell from which the surname arose, and the exact sense of the second element is not fully settled.
The final -elle is a French-style feminine ending, and it is this ending, rather than the root of the name, that distinguishes Darnelle from the parent form Darnell.
Darnelle Name History & Origins
The surname Darnell is English and belongs to the large group of family names taken from the place where a person lived or held land. Places called Darnall and Darnell are found in England, and the surname is recorded there from the medieval period onward. From England the name was carried to North America, where surnames were often reused as first names.
Darnell became established as a given name in the United States, used for both boys and girls, and feminine spellings such as Darnelle and Darnella developed alongside it. The -elle ending is a French-influenced feminine form; it is not evidence that the name's root is French.
How Popular is the Name Darnelle?
Darnelle has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1984. Its best rank was #2,449 in 1984.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | #14,276 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #7,732 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1988 | #12,251 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #11,719 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #8,749 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1985 | #9,583 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #7,546 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1982 | #6,014 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1981 | #7,560 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1980 | #10,757 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #8,239 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1977 | #7,722 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1974 | #7,911 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #4,618 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1971 | #4,875 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1970 | #5,936 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1969 | #3,820 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1968 | #5,239 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1967 | #4,690 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1966 | #5,943 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #4,923 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1964 | #6,152 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #4,961 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1961 | #5,977 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #4,238 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1956 | #5,427 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1954 | #4,039 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1950 | #3,264 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1949 | #3,962 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1947 | #4,068 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1946 | #5,106 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1943 | #4,824 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,460 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2022 | #12,753 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #9,903 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #11,369 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #9,995 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #8,893 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #11,738 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #8,864 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #7,164 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #9,525 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #8,392 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1999 | #8,942 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #8,356 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #4,666 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1995 | #3,901 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1994 | #4,349 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1993 | #7,833 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #4,622 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #4,829 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1990 | #3,197 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1989 | #3,492 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1988 | #3,559 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1987 | #3,775 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1986 | #2,617 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1985 | #4,796 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #2,449 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1983 | #2,816 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1982 | #4,304 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #3,259 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1980 | #3,134 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1979 | #4,952 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1978 | #3,924 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1977 | #3,913 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1974 | #4,747 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #3,778 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1969 | #4,045 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1963 | #4,180 | 5 | 0.0002% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Darnelle Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are strong in material matters, determined and stubborn. You have good business ability. You are a good worker, steady and practical, a builder who takes responsibility well. These qualities may bring you a position of authority and power. You are a doer, down-to-earth, serious-minded, reliable, and self-disciplined; have good power of concentration. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Darnelle's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Darnelle's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.