The unique name Durville appeared in the U.S. baby name data for the first and only time in the mid-1970s:
- 1977: unlisted
- 1976: unlisted
- 1975: 5 baby boys named Durville [debut]
- 1974: unlisted
- 1973: unlisted
What was the influence?
Actor D’Urville Martin, who’d been in movies (primarily in supporting roles) since the 1960s.
In the mid-1970s, he was appearing in various blaxploitation films such as The Get-Man (1974), Sheba, Baby (1975) and Dolemite (1975) — which he also directed.
D’Urville was born in New York City in 1939. So far I haven’t been able to track down the story behind his name, but I can tell you that it ultimately comes from a French surname that refers to any of several places in France called Urville.
What are your thoughts on D’Urville as a baby name?