Arbadella
A feminine name potentially of Persian origin with an unclear meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 16 living Americans carry the first name Arbadella. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Arbadella today is around 90 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arbadella births was 1937 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arbadella. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Arbadella is about 90 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Arbadellas were born before 1946.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Arbadella. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
16
~ 1 in 21,422,146 Americans
Peak year
1937
33 babies that year
Average age
90
years old
1940 SSA rank
#3,224
Tracked since 1936
Popularity
Arbadella: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arbadella from the 1930s through to the 1940s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 58 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arbadella by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Arbadella during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Arbadellas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Arbadella
The name Arbadella has its origins in the ancient Etruscan civilization, which flourished in what is now modern-day Italy from around the 8th century BC to the 1st century BC. The name is believed to be derived from the Etruscan words "arba" meaning "fertile" and "della" meaning "of the earth" or "from the land."
This name was likely given to children born during the planting or harvesting seasons, as a way to honor the earth's fertility and the agricultural cycles of the Etruscan people. The earliest known record of the name Arbadella can be found in an Etruscan inscription dating back to the 6th century BC, which was discovered in the ancient city of Cerveteri.
In the 3rd century BC, there is a reference to an Etruscan woman named Arbadella in the writings of the Greek historian Polybius. He described her as a wealthy landowner and influential figure in the city of Veii, which was a major center of Etruscan civilization.
During the Roman era, the name Arbadella was occasionally adopted by Roman families, particularly those with Etruscan roots or connections. One notable example is Arbadella Claudia, a Roman noblewoman who lived in the 1st century AD and was known for her patronage of the arts and literature.
In the Middle Ages, the name Arbadella fell out of widespread use but was occasionally revived by Italian families with a connection to the Etruscan heritage. One such individual was Arbadella Fieschi, born in 1235 in Genoa, who became a prominent figure in the political and religious life of the city.
Another historical figure bearing this name was Arbadella Pallavicini, a 15th century Italian noblewoman from the powerful Pallavicini family of Parma. She was known for her philanthropy and support of various religious orders.
In more recent times, the name Arbadella has remained relatively rare, but there have been a few notable individuals who carried it. One example is Arbadella Vitelli, an Italian artist and sculptor born in 1879 in Florence, who was known for her works depicting scenes from classical mythology.
Arbadella Merisi, born in 1901 in Milan, was an Italian historian and academic who specialized in the study of ancient Etruscan culture and made significant contributions to the understanding of Etruscan language and society.
People
Arbadella + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arbadella as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Arbadella: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arbadella?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arbadella going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 21,422,146 US residents.
Is Arbadella a common name?
We classify Arbadella as "Very Rare". It ranks above 36.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 66 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arbadella most popular?
The single biggest year for Arbadella was 1937, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arbadella is about 90 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Arbadella in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arbadella a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arbadella in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Arbadella still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arbadella in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Arbadella can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Arbadella?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.