Darren is a masculine

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from an

Anglicisation Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influe ...

of the Irish first name Darragh or

Dáire Dáire is an Old Irish name which fell out of use at an early period, remaining restricted essentially to legendary and ancestral figures, usually male. It has come back into fashion since the 18th century. The anglicised form of this name is D ...

, meaning "Oak Tree". According to other sources, it is thought to come from the Gaelic surname meaning ‘great’, but is also linked to a Welsh mountain named Moel Darren. It is also believed to be a variant of Darrell, which originated from the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

surname ''D'Airelle'', meaning "of Airelle". The common spelling of Darren is found in the

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province, Argentina). Historically, it h ...

, meaning "edge": Black Darren and Red Darren are found on the eastern side of the Hatterrall Ridge, west of Long Town. In New Zealand, the

Darran Mountains The Darran Mountains are a prominent range within New Zealand's Fiordland National Park, the country's biggest national park. They contain the park's highest peak, Mount Tūtoko (). The range lies between Milford Sound (Piopiotahi) and the valle ...

exist as a spur of the Southern Alps in the south of the country. Darren has several spelling variations including Daren, Darin, Daryn, Darrin, Darran and Darryn. In the United Kingdom, its popularity peaked during the 1970s but declined sharply afterwards. In England and Wales, it first appeared in the early-1960s, ranking 66th in 1964, and had leapt to 15th by 1974, but fell to 33rd by 1984 and last appeared in the top 100 in 1994, when it ranked 100th.Top 100 Baby Names - Historical Series (Her Majesty's Stationery Office)

People

Sports

Darren Anderton Darren Robert Anderton (born 3 March 1972) is an English former professional footballer and pundit. As a player, he was a midfielder who notably played in the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur and Birmingham City. His twelve-year spell with ...

, English footballer *

Darren Andrews Darren Andrews (born August 5, 1995) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and signed with the New England Patriots after going undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draf ...

(born 1995), American football player *

Darren Bennett (football player) Darren Bennett (born 9 January 1965) is a former Australian rules football player and American football punter in the National Football League. As an Australian rules footballer, he played for East Fremantle in the West Australian Football Lea ...

, Australian, played both Australian rules football and American football * Darren Bent, English footballer * Darren Braithwaite, British sprinter *

Darren Bravo Darren Michael Bravo (born 6 February 1989) is a Trinidadian Cricketer who plays international cricket for the West Indies. A left-handed batsman, his batting style has drawn comparisons with Brian Lara. Bravo is the younger half brother of fel ...

, West Indian cricketer * Darren Byfield, English footballer * Darren Campbell, English sprint athlete * Darren Collins (footballer born 1967), English footballer *

Darren Collison Darren Michael Collison (born August 23, 1987) is an American professional basketball player who is a free agent. Collison played four seasons of college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. He earned All-Pac-10 conference honors three times, and won ...

, American professional basketball player * Darren Clarke, Irish professional golfer *

Darren Currie Darren Paul Currie (born 29 November 1974) is an English former footballer who made over 600 appearances in The Football League. He is assistant head coach of Southend United. Club career Currie, who is the nephew of former Sheffield United, Le ...

, English footballer * Darren Daulton, American baseball player *

Darren Daye Darren Keefe Daye (born November 30, 1960) is an American former professional basketball player. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, at a height of , and a weight of , he played as a shooting guard and small forward. High school Daye played high-school ba ...

(born 1960), American basketball player *

Darren Drozdov Darren Adrian Drozdov (born April 7, 1969), professionally known as Droz, is an American essayist, former National Football League (NFL) football player and former professional wrestler who competed in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1 ...

, retired professional wrestler who competed in the WWF from 1998 until 1999. *

Darren Fells Darren Andre Fells (born April 22, 1986) is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He did not play college football, instead playing college basketball at the University of California, Irvine. Prior to his NFL career, he played prof ...

, American football player * Darren Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager * Darren Fletcher, Scottish footballer * Darren Flutie, American football player *

Darren Gerard Darren Charles Gerard (born 17 April 1984) is a cricketer who represented Oxford University in matches against Cambridge University in 2004 and 2006. Early and personal life Gerard was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire, England, and is Jewish ...

(born 1984), English cricketer *

Darren Gilford Darren Gilford (born 11 December 1982) is a Maltese former sprinter who specialized in the 100 metres. Participating in the 2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), offici ...

, Maltese athlete specializing in both the 100 metres and the 4 × 100 metre relay races * Darren Gough, English cricketer * Darren Hall (disambiguation), multiple people * Darren Huckerby, English former footballer * Darren Hughes (English footballer), English footballer *

Darren Hughes (Gaelic footballer) Darren Hughes is a Gaelic football player from County Monaghan, Ireland. He plays at senior level for the Monaghan county team. In 2011, Hughes was part of the Ireland team that won the 2011 International Rules Series against Australia by ...

, Irish Gaelic footballer * Darren Hughes (gridiron football), American football player * Darren Jarman, Australian rules football player * Darren Kelly (born 1979), Northern Irish footballer * Darren Lockyer, Australian rugby league player * Darren Lange, Australian freestyle swimmer *

Darren Mackie Darren Graham Mackie (born 5 January 1982) is a Scottish former footballer who, most recently, played for Inverurie Loco Works as a player/coach. Mackie was born in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland and previously played as a striker for Aber ...

, Scottish footballer *

Darren Matthews Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is known for his over 20 years spent in WWE, as both a performer and an on-screen authority, and for his ti ...

, best known as William Regal, English wrestler * Darren McCarty, Canadian ice hockey player *

Darren McCaughan Darren Scott McCaughan (born March 18, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Seattle Mariners organization. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2021. Amateur career McCaughan attended Los Alamitos High School ...

, American baseball player * Darren Murphy, Irish footballer * Darren Ng, China-Australian basketball player * Darren O'Dea, Irish footballer *

Darren Pang Darren Robert Pang (born February 17, 1964) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played his professional career with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (1984–85 and 1987–89). He is currently the lead ...

, Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender * Darren Purse, English footballer * Darren Ritchie, Scottish long jumper * Darren Rumble (ice hockey), Canadian ice hockey player * Darren Sharper, American football free safety *

Darren Smith (rugby league) Darren Smith (born 8 December 1968) is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the Australian national side and also Queensland in the State of Origin. His club football career was spent wi ...

, Australian rugby league player * Darren Sproles, American football player *

Darren Till Darren Till (born 24 December 1992) is an English professional mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai fighter. He currently competes in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of December 13, 2022, he is #1 ...

, British mixed martial artist *

Darren Turcotte Darren Turcotte (born March 2, 1968) is an American former professional Ice hockey player. Early life Turcotte's family moved to North Bay, Ontario where he spent most of his childhood. After his family returned to northern Ontario, he began pla ...

, American ice hockey player *

Darren Waller Darren Charles Waller (born September 13, 1992) is an American football tight end for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia Tech. He is the great-grandson of composer and jazz pianist ...

, American football player * Darren Webster, British darts player * Darren Yewchyn, Canadian football player * Darren Young, ring name of American WWE wrestler Fred Rosser

Arts and entertainment

* Darren Aronofsky, American filmmaker * Darren Barnet, American actor * Darren Bennett (dancer), British professional dancer *

Darren Bett Darren Victor Bett (born 1968 in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire) is an English weather forecaster for the BBC, broadcasting on television and radio. Bett is a main weather presenter on BBC Radio 5 Live and also appears on the BBC News Channel, BBC ...

, British weatherman for the BBC * Darren Boyd, British actor * Darren Criss, American actor and singer *

Darren Cullen (cartoonist) Darren Cullen (born 1983 in Leeds, England) is a British-Irish artist and activist whose artwork satirises topics ranging from the insidious nature of advertising, from the culpability of the "Santa lie" to armed forces recruitment propaganda. ...

, British satirical artist and writer *

Darren Dale Darren Dale is an Indigenous Australian film and television producer. Since joining Blackfella Films as a producer in 2001, he is co-director of the company, along with founder Rachel Perkins. Dale is known for co-producing many films and tel ...

, Australian filmmaker *

Darren Day Darren Day is an English actor, singer and television presenter, well known for his West End theatre starring roles. Early life Day's paternal grandfather was a support act to George Formby in the days of music hall. Day undertook drama classe ...

, English actor, singer, and television presenter * Darren Espanto, Filipino Canadian singer * Darren Farris, American singer/songwriter *

Darren Floyd Venus Brown (real name Darren Floyd, born in San Diego, California) is the executive producer, owner and CEO of Buddah Brown Entertainment, an artist management music label.The Source Magazine. The Long Haul by Robert Smith III, Page 30. October 2 ...

, British writer, painter and puppeteer *

Darren Grant Darren Grant is an American television, film and music video director. He has directed over eighty music videos for mostly R&B and hip hop artists. In 2005, Grant directed his debut film Tyler Perry's ''Diary of a Mad Black Woman''. In 2008, he ...

, American Film and Music Video Director * Darren Hayes, Australian singer-songwriter, formerly of the group Savage Garden * Darren Jessee, American drummer for the rock group Ben Folds Five *

Darren Jordon Darren Jordon (born 23 November 1960 in London, England) is a British journalist working for the Al-Jazeera 24-hour English-language news and current affairs channel, Al Jazeera English. He is also a former officer of the Jamaica Defence Force ...

, British journalist and newsreader * Darren Kennedy, Irish television presenter and entrepreneur based in London *

Darren Korb Darren Korb (born November 5, 1983) is an American songwriter, composer, and voice actor. Korb is best known for writing the music featured in ''Bastion (video game), Bastion'', ''Transistor (video game), Transistor'', ''Pyre (video game), Pyre'' ...

, American songwriter and composer * Darren Leader, stage name Stix Zadinia, American drummer for rock group Steel Panther * Darren Lim, Singaporean actor * Darren McGavin, American actor * Darren Ockert, British singer-songwriter and producer based out of Miami * Darren Robinson (rapper), American member of the 80s rap group The Fat Boys *

Darren O'Shaughnessy Darren O'Shaughnessy (; born 2 July 1972), is an Irish writer and novelist. He is best known for his young adult fiction series ''The Saga of Darren Shan'', ''The Demonata'', and ''Zom-B'', published under the pseudonym Darren Shan. The former w ...

, Irish writer and novelist, pen names Darren Shan and Darren Dash *

Darren "Whackhead" Simpson Darren "Whackhead" Simpson (born 19 April 1977) is a comedian and radio presenter working for Primedia, a broadcasting company that owns the radio stations 947 and 94.5 Kfm in South Africa (among others). He presented the morning show, Breakfa ...

(born 1977), South African radio presenter *

Darren Star Darren Star (born July 25, 1961) is an American writer, director and producer of film and television. He is best known for creating the television series '' Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–2000), ''Melrose Place'' (1992–1999), '' Sex and the Cit ...

, American television/film producer and screenwriter * Darren Styles, British record producer, disc jockey and singer-songwriter from

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colch ...

Darren Tate Darren Tate (born 22 October 1972, in London) is a British record producer, film composer and club DJ. Biography As a classically trained musician, Tate has worked with international artists and songwriters with whom he collaborates regularly. ...

, British trance music producer and DJ * Darren Wilson, American drummer of the Chicago-based indie-rock group The Hush South * Darren Wills, British author and composer

Other professions

Darren Chester Darren Jeffrey Chester (born 13 September 1967) is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the House of Representatives for Gippsland in Victoria, representing the Nationals since 2008. Chester had served as the Minister for Veterans ...

, Australian politician * Darren Hughes, New Zealand politician * Darren Naish, British vertebrate palaeontologist and science writer * Darren Storsley, founder of Top Teen of Canada * Darren Kimura, American businessman, inventor and investor * Darren Deon Vann, American serial killer

Fictional characters

* Darren Agonistes Cross, supervillain 'Yellowjacket' from the Marvel comic series Marvel MCU Movie Ant-Man * Darren Leadfoot, also known as Shiny Wax, a character in Cars * Darren Osborne, in British soap '' Hollyoaks'' * Darren Woods, a character in the 1985 American science fantasy movie '' Explorers''

References

External links

BehindtheName - Origin and History of the Name Darren

Interesting Facts about the name Darren
{{given name Given names English masculine given names