Darla
Girl name · #941 in 2025 · Uniqueness 38/100
In 2025, 275 baby girls were named Darla, placing it at #941 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1677, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 6,545 girls born in 2025 was named Darla.
The 101-year story
Darla first appears in the Social Security records in 1924, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1963, when 2,391 girls were named Darla — good for #165 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Darla per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Darla against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Darla in class?
Darla scores 38 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Darla is most common
Geography matters for names, and Darla is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Darlas were CA (50), TX (36), FL (18), NY (13), CO (9). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Darla
Statistically, parents drawn to Darla tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Carla, Paula, Marla, Karla, and Teresa.
CarlaPaulaMarlaKarlaTeresaDinaLisaDonna
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Darla | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 275 | #941 |
| 2024 | 246 | #1025 |
| 2023 | 199 | #1202 |
| 2022 | 202 | #1190 |
| 2021 | 190 | #1236 |
| 2020 | 155 | #1412 |
| 2019 | 165 | #1366 |
| 2018 | 181 | #1271 |
| 2017 | 161 | #1416 |
| 2016 | 185 | #1294 |
| 2015 | 127 | #1677 |
| 2014 | 161 | #1416 |
| 2013 | 151 | #1470 |
| 2012 | 174 | #1346 |
| 2011 | 143 | #1531 |
| 2010 | 140 | #1569 |
| 2009 | 126 | #1733 |
| 2008 | 127 | #1740 |
| 2007 | 106 | #1940 |
| 2006 | 88 | #2186 |
| 2005 | 104 | #1855 |
| 2004 | 109 | #1756 |
| 2003 | 105 | #1786 |
| 2002 | 91 | #1934 |
| 2001 | 106 | #1700 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Darla a popular girl name?
Darla ranked #941 among girls in 2025 with 275 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1677.
When was the name Darla most popular?
Darla peaked in 1963, when 2,391 American girls received the name (ranked #165 that year). Since 1963 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Darla?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 6,545 newborn American girls was named Darla. It scores 38/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.