Darren vs Samir
Darren and Samircompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Darren was ranked #312 and Samir #552 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Darren was ranked #535 and Samir #619 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Darren was ranked #1108 and Samir #898 among boys in England and Wales.
Darren and Samir over time
Darren and Samir appear together in 2 published lists, across 39 years of shared records. Darren held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Samir in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Darren reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Samir in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Darren #76 in 2003, Samir #423 in 2003.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Darren held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Samir in 9.
Highest recorded here: Darren #123 in 1996, Samir #328 in 2004.
The order changed in 2018: Samir moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #806 and #1042; by 2018 that had become #1097 and #763.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Darren #1108, Samir #898.
Republic of Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 2003–2021
Darren held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Samir in 0.
Highest recorded here: Darren #76 in 2003, Samir #423 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Darren #312, Samir #552.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Darren | Samir |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Exact meaning uncertain — may derive from a rare Irish surname, or be a variant of Darrell. Popularized in the late 1950s by actor Darren McGavin and in the 1960s by the character Darrin Stephens from Bewitched. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Uncertain (possibly Irish surname, or a variant of Darrell) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdæɹ.ən/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) | Norway · Boys #518 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Darren has a recorded origin (Uncertain (possibly Irish surname, or a variant of Darrell)); Samir does not have one recorded yet.
- Darren and Samir both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Darren; Samir doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Darren
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #83 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1960–1989
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1966 (recorded 1960–1989).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Samir
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #445 among boys in Norway in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1957–2025
Highest recorded position: #275 among boys in Norway, in 1964 (recorded 1957–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #518 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys