Darnel
Below 5 births
Below 5 births
About Darnel
Darnel is a name with multiple possible origins. It may have developed as a variant of Darnell, which originated as an English surname derived from Old French 'darnel,' referring to a type of grass or weed. Alternatively, it could be related to the Middle English personal name 'Dernell.' The name gained usage as a first name in the United States during the 20th century, with particular popularity from the 1960s through the 1980s. Darnel has been used across diverse communities in the United States, with higher frequency in urban areas. The variation between 'Darnel' (single L) and 'Darnell' (double L) represents common spelling alternatives in contemporary naming patterns. The name has a strong, masculine sound that contributed to its adoption as a given name from its surname origins.
Darnel is also given to girls.
Pronounced DAR-nel.
As of October 2026, Darnel ranked #8245 in US births in 1970 SSA, peaked at #4317 in 1963.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
Darnel on lists
Darnel in pop culture
- Lolium temulentumBoy
typically known as darnel, poison darnel, darnel ryegrass or cockle, is an annual plant that forms part of the Poaceae family and part of the Lolium genus. The French word for darnel is ivraie (from Latin ebriacus, intoxicated), which expresses the drunken nausea from eating the infected plant, which can be fatal. The French name echoes the scientific name, Latin temulentus "drunk."