Arco
Of Italian origin, meaning "bow" or "arch".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Arco. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Arco today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arco births was 1918 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arco. 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 Arco with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Arco. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1918
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1918 SSA rank
#4,209
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Arco: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Arco 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 Arco during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Arco
The name Arco is believed to have originated from the Italian language, derived from the word "arco," which means "bow" or "arc." This name is thought to have its roots in the Renaissance period, when the study of classical architecture and art flourished in Italy.
During the Renaissance, the use of arches and curved architectural elements became a prominent feature in buildings and structures. Arco may have been a name given to individuals associated with this artistic or architectural movement, either as designers, builders, or patrons of the arts.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Arco can be found in the writings of the Italian Renaissance artist and architect Giorgio Vasari, who lived from 1511 to 1574. In his famous work "Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects," Vasari mentions an architect named Arco, although specific details about this individual are scarce.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Arco. One such person was Arco, an Italian painter from the 16th century, known for his religious works and frescoes in churches across Italy. Unfortunately, precise dates of his birth and death are not widely documented.
Another notable figure was Arco degli Arrighi, an Italian engraver and printmaker who lived from 1475 to 1527. He is renowned for his innovative techniques in engraving and his contributions to the development of the art form during the Renaissance period.
In the realm of literature, Arco Trevisi was an Italian poet and writer from the late 15th century, known for his sonnets and lyrical works. While the exact dates of his life are uncertain, his poetic contributions have been preserved and studied by scholars of Italian literature.
During the 18th century, Arco di Costanzo was an Italian architect who designed several notable buildings in Naples, including the Church of Santa Maria della Vita. He lived from 1715 to 1784 and was recognized for his neoclassical architectural style.
Another individual worth mentioning is Arco Nuzzi, an Italian painter and sculptor from the 19th century, born in 1828 and died in 1892. He was known for his realistic portraiture and religious works, which can be found in various churches and galleries throughout Italy.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the name Arco throughout history, highlighting its Italian origins and connections to the arts, architecture, and literature during various periods.
People
Arco + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arco 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
Arco: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arco?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arco 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 - US residents.
Is Arco a common name?
We classify Arco as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arco most popular?
The single biggest year for Arco was 1918, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arco is about 0 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 Arco in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arco a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arco 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 Arco still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arco 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 Arco 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 have Arco as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Arco on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.