Darrol
A boy's name of Old French origin with 654 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
Darrol is a vintage name that peaked in the Baby Boom and has since faded from common use. For parents drawn to retro charm, that quiet history is part of the appeal.
The sharp, distinct quality of its ending — ending on a consonant gives it a firm, clear close — keeps the name compact and easy to pair with longer middle names or surnames.
Darrol is not in the current top 1,000 boy names nationally, making it an uncommon choice — though your state or community may differ.
Darrol is a boy's baby name of Old French origin, a variant of Darrell or Daryl, derived from the Norman French place name d'Airelle, referring to a French locality, meaning approximately 'from Airelle.' Darrell became popular in the United States through the 20th century as a first name with French aristocratic roots.
The Darrol spelling gives this French-Norman name a more compact, phonetically direct form. It carries the same colonial French heritage as Darrell — a name brought to England by Norman nobles after 1066 — in a stripped-down American rendering that values sound over elaborate spelling.
EtymologyShow more
Though Darrol dates back to 1918 in U.S. records, its etymological path is not always straightforward. Names that predate modern naming databases sometimes resist easy classification — they may have been oral traditions, regional family names, or adaptations that were never systematically recorded. The Old French classification provides a starting point, but the full derivation likely involves more nuance than a single label can capture.
Darrol’s 654 recorded births provide enough of a footprint to establish it as a real, chosen name in American culture — not a typo or a one-off, but a deliberate selection by hundreds of families.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Darrol has 64+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1918.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | — |
| 1990s | 5 | ▼ |
| 1980s | 27 | ▼ |
| 1970s | 49 | ▼ |
| 1960s | 121 | ▼ |
| 1950s | 159 | ▲ |
| 1940s | 132 | ▲ |
| 1930s | 96 | ▲ |
| 1920s | 54 | ▲ |
| 1910s | 6 | — |
The Story of Darrol
A Baby Boomer name
Peaking in 1947, Darrol is a timeless Baby Boomer name. Boys named Darrol are most likely born between 1937 and 1957.
How rare is Darrol?
With 654 total births on record, Darrol remains a rare and distinctive pick.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1918, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1950s with 159 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Darrol by the numbers
- Would fill 14 school buses
- Meeting one Darrol per day would take 1.8 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(64 years, 1918–2005)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 5 | #11835 |
| 1996 | 5 | #9317 |
| 1989 | 5 | #8150 |
| 1985 | 6 | #5955 |
| 1983 | 6 | #5645 |
| 1982 | 5 | #6575 |
| 1980 | 5 | #6454 |
| 1977 | 6 | #5276 |
| 1976 | 6 | #5065 |
| 1975 | 5 | #5650 |
| 1974 | 8 | #3907 |
| 1972 | 8 | #3698 |
| 1971 | 10 | #3190 |
| 1970 | 6 | #4349 |
| 1969 | 6 | #4048 |
| 1968 | 5 | #4262 |
| 1967 | 11 | #2506 |
| 1966 | 17 | #1911 |
| 1965 | 18 | #1871 |
| 1964 | 8 | #3097 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Darrol a boy's or girl's name?
When was Darrol most popular?
How popular is the name Darrol?
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Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1918–2005