Darnell

Where Darnell comes from

English surname, from the noun darnel (“type of ryegrass”). Also a variant of Darnall. The given name is likely derived from the surname.
— Wiktionary's entry for Darnell
Along the way
  1. 1912
    First appearance
    #1,746 among boys, 9 babies — the first year at least five got the name.
  2. 1971
    Darnell Hall born
    American sprinter
  3. 1984
    Peak, #281
    741 babies named Darnell — more than any year before or since.
  4. 1985
    Darnell Jackson born
    American basketball player
  5. 1997
    The fade
    The first year with half the peak's births — down to #552.
In the dictionary
  • A male given name.
Namesakes
  • Darnell Jackson · American basketball player, born 1985
  • Darnell Hall · American sprinter, born 1971
  • Darnell Nurse · Canadian ice hockey player, born 1995
  • Darnell Furlong · English association football player, born 1995
  • Darnell Martin · American film director and screenwriter, born 1964

Sources: the origin note and dictionary entry are quoted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); the namesakes come from Wikidata (CC0); the milestones are worked out from the SSA record.