Darlene

Did you know?

A few things about Darlene you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Darlene

Darlene Hard

American tennis player (1936–2021)

Choose Darlene and your child shares a first name with Darlene Hard, an American tennis player. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Darlene, like who?” Darlene Hard's Wikipedia article is available in 27 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Darlene Hard on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Associated Press, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 14,881 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Darlene, 108 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Darlene would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryDarlene first shows up in US birth records in 1896, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 129 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1958, when it ranked #49. Today it's #1,844, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📉Then vs nowDarlene was 2.2× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 6,653 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 14,881.
• 🍂TrendDarlene has slipped 52 places over the last five years and now sits at #1,844. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedDarlene is most popular in California, where it ranks #889. It's in the top 1,000 in 1 state.
• 💬MeaningIn English, Darlene means “darling”. Our records link it to American, English and French roots.

About the name Darlene

Darlene is a girl name of American, English and French origin meaning “darling”. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with D and ending in “-ene”. US birth records list Darlene for girls from 1896 to 2025, in 127 of those 130 years. Its best year was 1958, when it ranked #49 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,844, with 108 babies.

Origin:American namesEnglish namesFrench names