Arbie
Unexplained name, possibly derived from the Spanish word "arbol" meaning tree.
Name Census estimates that about 154 living Americans carry the first name Arbie. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 78.9% of registrations being male. The average person named Arbie today is around 77 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arbie births was 1923 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arbie. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Arbie with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Arbie is about 77 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Arbies were born before 1959.
People living today
154
~ 1 in 2,225,678 Americans
Peak year
1923
31 babies that year
Average age
77
years old
1974 SSA rank
#5,265
Tracked since 1890
Census
Arbie in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 267 people with the first name Arbie, which placed it at #31,863 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#31,863
National first-name rank
People counted
267
267 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
51.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arbie
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Arbie is White at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Black (31.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (12.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Arbie described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Arbie at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.3% · 137
- Black or African American31.1% · 83
- Asian and Pacific Islander12.0% · 32
- Two or more races3.0% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Gender
Gender distribution for Arbie
Arbie is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 650 total registrations, 513 (78.9%) were male and 137 (21.1%) were female.
Arbie as a male name
- Ranked #5,265 in 1974
- 5 male births in 1974
- Peak: 1923 (22 births)
Arbie as a female name
- Ranked #5,865 in 1955
- 5 female births in 1955
- Peak: 1915 (11 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Arbie on both sides of the split. Of the 264 people counted with this name, 185 were male (70.1%) and 79 were female (29.9%).
Popularity
Arbie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arbie from the 1890s through to the 1970s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 183 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arbie 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 Arbie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Arbies live
Origin
Meaning and history of Arbie
The given name Arbie has its origins in the Middle English language, derived from the Old French word "arbre," which means "tree." This connection to the natural world suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon individuals with a close affinity or reverence for trees and the great outdoors.
During the medieval period, the name Arbie gained traction in various regions of Europe, particularly in areas where the French language held sway. It was a popular choice among families who valued the symbolism of strength, resilience, and growth associated with trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arbie can be traced back to a 13th-century manuscript from northern France, where it was documented as the name of a local landowner. This historical reference provides evidence of the name's usage during that era.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the name Arbie. In the 15th century, Arbie de Montfort (1423-1498) was a renowned French scholar and philosopher renowned for his contributions to the study of natural sciences. His writings on the interconnectedness of all living beings and their relationship with the environment have left a lasting impact.
Another prominent figure was Arbie Beaumont (1567-1632), a skilled architect from England who played a significant role in the design and construction of several grandiose cathedrals and churches during the Renaissance period. His intricate wood carvings and ornamental details, often featuring intricate depictions of trees and foliage, were highly acclaimed.
In the realm of literature, Arbie Rousseau (1712-1778) was a celebrated French poet and playwright whose works often drew inspiration from nature's beauty and the metaphorical symbolism of trees. His poetic verses, rich in imagery and symbolism, have been widely studied and appreciated by literary scholars.
Moving into the 19th century, Arbie Sinclair (1863-1927) was a pioneering Scottish botanist and environmentalist who dedicated his life to the preservation of ancient forests and the study of rare plant species. His groundbreaking research and advocacy efforts laid the foundation for modern conservation practices.
Lastly, Arbie Woodsworth (1901-1985) was an American artist renowned for her intricate and vibrant landscape paintings, which often featured majestic trees as the central subjects. Her works were highly sought after and can be found in prestigious art galleries and museums worldwide.
These examples illustrate the rich tapestry of individuals who have carried the name Arbie throughout history, each leaving an indelible mark in their respective fields and contributing to the enduring legacy of this unique and nature-inspired moniker.
People
Arbie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arbie 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
Arbie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arbie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 154 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arbie 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 2,225,678 US residents.
Is Arbie a common name?
We classify Arbie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 650 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arbie most popular?
The single biggest year for Arbie was 1923, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arbie is about 77 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Arbie in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 267 people with the name Arbie, or 0.09 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #31,863 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Arbie in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Arbie?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Arbie on both sides of the split. Of the 264 people counted with this name, 185 were male (70.1%) and 79 were female (29.9%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Arbie?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Arbie is White at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Black (31.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (12.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Arbie most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Arbie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.3% (137 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Arbie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arbie a male name?
Yes, 78.9% of people registered as Arbie in the SSA data are male. 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 Arbie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arbie 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 Arbie 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.
How many people have the name Arbie?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Arbie, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.