Darnell, of African origin, is a gender-neutral given name that gained popularity in the United States during the mid-20th century. It is derived from the African word 'dar,' which means 'strong' or 'powerful.' The name Darnell was popularized by the character Darnell Jones, played by Ivan Dixon, in the television series "Hogan's Heroes" that aired from 1965 to 1971.
The name Darnell experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the years, with a notable peak in the post-WWII era. From 1947 to 1952, there were consistently high numbers of births, ranging from 49 to 71 annually. However, after reaching a high of 70 births in 1950 and 71 in 1951, the popularity of the name Darnell began a steady decline that continued until the late 1980s. Between 1983 and 1992, there were only between 5 and 21 births each year. After a brief resurgence in the mid-1990s with 13 births in both 1994 and 1997, the name's popularity once again declined, with only five births recorded each year from 1999 to 2011 and again in 2017. In total, there were 2,387 births given the name Darnell between 1917 and 2017.