Darren is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Darren means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Darren across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Darren has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Darren is a boy name of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning “of uncertain meaning”. popularised as a first name in the 20th century.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 104,506 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 3,050 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 8,913 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 455 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 10,418 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 3,143 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 Darren per year, United States (1936 to 2025). United States peaked in 1965 (5,963/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1988 (457/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1988 (425/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (343/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (62/yr).
Darren has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1965, when it ranked #118 nationally (given to 5,963 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1960s.
Darrin · Darin · Doreen · Darian · Taryn · Daren · Darien · Dorian
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