Darryl as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Darryl

What is the meaning of the name Darryl ?

The baby name Darryl is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈdærəl/ (DAR-uhl).

Darryl is English in Origin.

Darryl is an English given name derived from the surname Darrell/Darell, itself Norman-French in origin. The surname comes from the locative phrase d’Airel, indicating someone “from Airel,” a place in Normandy; the common association with “darling” is a later folk etymology. As a forename, Darryl emerged alongside the broader Anglo-American habit of turning surnames into given names, gaining strong currency in the United States in the mid-20th century.

Variants and related spellings include Daryl, Darrell, Darrel, and Darryll; Daryl is the form most often used for women, while Darryl is overwhelmingly masculine. Usage peaked in the 1960s–1980s, sustained in part by sports and entertainment figures such as Darryl Strawberry and Darryl Dawkins, and remains familiar across the English-speaking world. The name conveys a concise, modern feel while retaining its medieval Norman roots through the underlying sense of “of Airel,” a subtle nod to place-based identity.