Arcenio
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "bold hunter".
Name Census estimates that about 158 living Americans carry the first name Arcenio. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Arcenio today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arcenio births was 1989 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arcenio. 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.
People living today
158
~ 1 in 2,169,331 Americans
Peak year
1989
13 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
2012 SSA rank
#10,889
Tracked since 1925
Census
Arcenio in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 638 people with the first name Arcenio, which placed it at #17,339 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
#17,339
National first-name rank
People counted
638
638 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Hispanic or Latino
90.4% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arcenio
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Arcenio is Hispanic at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and White (2.5%). 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 Arcenio 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 Arcenio at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.4% · 577
- Black or African American4.2% · 27
- White2.5% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 6
- Two or more races0.5% · 3
Popularity
Arcenio: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arcenio from the 1920s through to the 2010s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 62 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arcenio 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 Arcenio during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Arcenios live
Origin
Meaning and history of Arcenio
The given name Arcenio is believed to have its origins in the Latin language. It is thought to be derived from the Latin word "arcanus," which means "secret" or "hidden." The name might have been given to individuals who were perceived as mysterious or possessing a deep inner knowledge.
In the early days of Christianity, some historical records suggest that Arcenio was used as a name for individuals who were part of secret societies or underground movements. These groups often met in secrecy to practice their faith during times of persecution.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arcenio dates back to the 3rd century CE. It is mentioned in a text that describes a Christian martyr from Rome who was known as Arcenio. According to the account, he was executed for refusing to renounce his faith.
In the 5th century CE, an influential figure named Arcenio is mentioned in the writings of Saint Augustine. This Arcenio was a Roman scholar and philosopher who engaged in theological debates with Saint Augustine on various topics related to Christianity.
During the Middle Ages, the name Arcenio gained some popularity among the nobility in certain parts of Europe. One notable figure who bore this name was Arcenio de Montfort, a French nobleman and military commander who lived in the 12th century. He played a significant role in the Crusades and was known for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
In the Renaissance period, an Italian artist and sculptor named Arcenio Buoninsegna gained recognition for his works in marble and bronze. He was active in the 15th century and contributed to the artistic and cultural renaissance in Italy.
Another historical figure who carried the name Arcenio was a Spanish explorer and navigator from the 16th century. Arcenio de Quesada was part of several expeditions to the Americas and is credited with establishing some of the earliest Spanish settlements in the Caribbean and South America.
While the name Arcenio has its roots in Latin and was used throughout various periods of history, it has become relatively uncommon in modern times. However, its unique sound and intriguing meaning have ensured that it remains a distinct and memorable name, carrying with it a sense of mystery and intrigue.
People
Arcenio + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arcenio 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
Arcenio: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arcenio?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 158 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arcenio 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 2,169,331 US residents.
Is Arcenio a common name?
We classify Arcenio as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 176 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arcenio most popular?
The single biggest year for Arcenio was 1989, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arcenio is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Arcenio in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 638 people with the name Arcenio, or 0.21 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #17,339 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 Arcenio 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 Arcenio?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Arcenio appears almost entirely male. Of the 637 people counted with this name, 100.0% were male and only a very small share were female. 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 Arcenio?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Arcenio is Hispanic at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and White (2.5%). 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 Arcenio most often in the Census?
Hispanic is the largest reported group for people named Arcenio in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (577 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 Arcenio in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arcenio a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arcenio 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 Arcenio still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arcenio 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 Arcenio 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 Americans are named Arcenio?
Want to know how many people share the name Arcenio? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.