Darry

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Darry

Pronounced DAIR-ee /ˈdɛr.i/Medium

Meaning: Darry is a short form of Darrell or Darryl, surnames from the Norman d'Airelle, 'from Airelle,' a place in France. Best known from S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders, where Darrel 'Darry' Curtis is the eldest brother, it wears the tidy, clipped feel of a mid-century boy's nickname-name.Medium

In 30 seconds: Darry is a pet form of Darrell/Darryl, a Norman place-surname. It peaked around 1960 and is known from The Outsiders.

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Origin MediumEnglish, French

MeaningDarry is a short form of Darrell or Darryl, surnames from the Norman d'Airelle, 'from Airelle,' a place in France. Best known from S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders, where Darrel 'Darry' Curtis is the eldest brother, it wears the tidy, clipped feel of a mid-century boy's nickname-name.

U.S. rank (2014)#9869 ↘ Falling

2014 U.S. births7 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1960

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,536

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Darry is a diminutive of Darrell or Darryl, Norman surnames from d'Airelle, a French place name. It saw modest use as a given name in the mid-twentieth century and gained a small literary profile through S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders.

Darry crested around 1960 at roughly seventy boys a year and faded through the later century, appearing into the twenty-tens. A Darry from the peak is in his mid-sixties now. It reads as a mid-century short form and has not revived.

Did you know? Readers meet the name as Darry Curtis, the responsible oldest brother in The Outsiders — a fitting home for a steady, no-frills short form of Darrell.

Overall data confidence 58%

References — Darry — Pet form of Darrell/Darryl (Norman d'Airelle); The Outsiders' Darry Curtis

Variations

DarrellDarrylDary

Nicknames

DarDarr

Famous Bearers

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If you like Darry…

Darryl— a parent name Darry shortens

Darrell— the classic spelling behind the short form

Larry— a like clipped -arry boy's nickname-name

Barry— a comparable mid-century short boy's name

Explore names like Darry

By themevintage nickname-name mid-century norman

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Darry mean?

Darry is a short form of Darrell or Darryl, Norman surnames from a French place name meaning 'from Airelle.'

How do you pronounce Darry?

It's said DAIR-ee /ˈdɛr.i/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Darry a boy or girl name?

Darry is used as a boy's name, short for Darrell.

How popular is Darry?

Darry was an uncommon mid-century short form that peaked around the start of the nineteen-sixties and has stayed rare since.