Derl

♂ Boy

Pronounced DURL /ˈdɜːrl/Medium

Meaning: Derl is a short, homespun early-century name, most plausibly a variant of Earl or Merle. Earl comes from the Old English rank 'eorl', 'nobleman'; Merle comes from French 'merle', 'blackbird'. Derl reads as a rhyming reshaping of one of these, and we flag its exact source as uncertain rather than fix on one.Low

In 30 seconds: Derl is a terse early-century name (said 'DURL'), most likely a variant of Earl ('nobleman') or Merle ('blackbird'). Its exact root is uncertain.

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Origin LowEnglish, French

MeaningDerl is a short, homespun early-century name, most plausibly a variant of Earl or Merle. Earl comes from the Old English rank 'eorl', 'nobleman'; Merle comes from French 'merle', 'blackbird'. Derl reads as a rhyming reshaping of one of these, and we flag its exact source as uncertain rather than fix on one.

U.S. rank (1980)#5700 ↘ Falling

1980 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1930

Total births (all-time)≈ 306

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

Derl is a brief, rural American name of the early nineteen-hundreds, best read as a reshaping of Earl or Merle. Earl carries the Old English sense 'nobleman'; Merle means 'blackbird' in French. Names like these — short, rhyming, plain — flourished in the period, and Derl is one of the rarer members of that group.

It crested near sixty boys a year around 1930 and faded into rarity by mid-century. A man given it at its peak would belong to the Depression generation, and it reads today as a firmly antique country name of uncertain exact origin.

Did you know? Derl belongs to a small family of blunt, one-syllable early-century boys' names — Earl, Merle, Burl, Verl — where a single vowel swap set one rural name off from another.

Overall data confidence 42%

References — Derl — variant of Earl/Merle; origin uncertain

Variations

EarlMerleVerl

Nicknames

Der

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If you like Derl…

Earl— a likely source name, same blunt one-beat shape

Merle— the other likely source, sharing the rhyme

Burl— a like short rural early-century boys' name

Verl— a same-family one-syllable vintage name

Explore names like Derl

By themevintage short antique

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Derl mean?

Derl is uncertain, most likely a variant of Earl, 'nobleman', or Merle, 'blackbird'.

How do you pronounce Derl?

It's said DURL /ˈdɜːrl/ — one syllable.

Is Derl a boy or girl name?

Derl is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Derl?

Derl was a rare early-century country name that crested in the interwar years and has been very rare since.