Darlene is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Darlene means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Darlene across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Darlene has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Darlene is a girl name of English origin meaning “darling, dear one”. From the English word darling with a French-style suffix.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 205,546 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 72 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 36 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 11 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Darlene per year, United States (1896 to 2025). United States peaked in 1958 (8,307/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2006 (8/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1980 (5/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1980 (5/yr).
Darlene has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1958, when it ranked #98 nationally (given to 8,307 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
Darleen · Darline · Darlyne · Darlena · Darlean · Dorlene · Darlynn · Darilyn
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