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Home › Baby Names Directory › Darlene

Darlene

♀ Girl

Pronounced dahr-LEEN /dɑɹ.ˈlin/Medium

Meaning: TorchMedium

In 30 seconds: Darlene is an English name built from the affectionate word 'darling' with a familiar name ending, though it is also linked to the sense 'torch'.
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Origin MediumEnglish word darling combined with the common, English
MeaningTorch
U.S. rank (2025)#1847 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births108 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1958
Total births (all-time)≈ 204,940

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 195818962025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Darlene grew out of the English word 'darling' joined to a common name-forming suffix, giving it a warm, term-of-endearment root. The recorded meaning of 'torch' sits alongside that affectionate origin. It reads as a homey, mid-century American name, an impression its bearers support.

Two women carry it on record, Darlene Conley (1934-2007) and the singer Darlene Love (1941-present), both anchoring the name in twentieth-century American culture.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Darlene is 'torch', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Darlene — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Darlene Conley (1934–2007)
    Female public figure listed on Behind the Name.
  • ★Darlene Love (1941–present)
    Female public figure listed on Behind the Name.

If you like Darlene…

Marlene— Shares Darlene's '-lene' ending and the same soft, mid-century cadence.
Charlene— Built on the same '-lene' suffix that shapes Darlene.
Darla— Draws on the same 'darling'-rooted opening as Darlene.
Divine— shares the -ne ending
Serene— a fellow English choice

Explore names like Darlene

By themeenglish

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Darlene mean?

Darlene is usually explained as meaning 'torch' and is most often linked with English word darling combined with the common tradition.

How do you pronounce Darlene?

It's commonly said dahr-LEEN /dɑɹ.ˈlin/.

Is Darlene a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Darlene is used as a girl name.

How popular is Darlene?

In 2024, Darlene ranked #1802 in the U.S. for girls, with 111 births recorded.

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