Daryl is a unique and distinctive given name of American origin. It has gained popularity in recent years, particularly since the 2010s, due to its use in popular culture, such as in the television series "The Walking Dead," where Daryl Dixon is a prominent character.
The name Daryl is derived from two elements: the Old English word "dæl" meaning " dale " or valley, and the Old Norse element "-rīkr" which means " powerful ". Therefore, Daryl could be interpreted as meaning "powerful valley dweller." However, it is important to note that this etymology might not have been the intention when the name was coined.
The use of Daryl as a given name appears to be a modern creation. It was not listed in the Social Security Administration's baby names data prior to 1970. The first significant appearance of Daryl on the popularity charts was in the late 1980s, with its highest ranking being number 324 in the year 2000.
Despite its recent origin as a given name, Daryl has been used as a surname for centuries. Some notable bearers of this surname include Sir Reginald Dyarle (d. 1377), who was an English knight during the reign of Edward III, and John Dyrell (d. 1594), a prominent English merchant and entrepreneur.
In popular culture, Daryl has been used beyond "The Walking Dead." It is also the name of characters in the films "Daryl Hannah" (1987) and "My Best Friend's Wedding" (1997), as well as in the television series "Charmed" (1998-2006).
In summary, Daryl is an American given name with a unique origin and meaning. While its use has gained popularity in recent years due to popular culture references, it is also deeply rooted in history through its usage as a surname for centuries.
The name Daryl has seen a varied trend in popularity over the years in the United States. With only 13 births recorded in 1912, it started off as a relatively uncommon name. However, by 1946, there were 600 births that year, marking a significant increase in its usage.
The peak of Daryl's popularity was reached in 1956 with 1832 births recorded that year. This trend continued into the late 1950s and early 1960s, with over 1600 births each year from 1957 to 1961.
However, by the mid-1960s, the popularity of the name Daryl started to decline. There were fewer than 1600 births each year from 1964 onwards, and this downward trend continued until the late 1980s.
In recent years, the name Daryl has seen a resurgence in popularity, with over 130 births recorded annually between 2007 and 2015. However, since then, its popularity has decreased again, with fewer than 100 births recorded each year from 2016 onwards.
In total, there have been 62860 births of the name Daryl in the United States since records began. Despite fluctuations in its popularity over the years, it remains a recognizable and distinctive name.