Arda
An ancient Persian name meaning "precious gem".
Name Census estimates that about 563 living Americans carry the first name Arda. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 61.1% of registrations being male. The average person named Arda today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arda births was 2006 (41 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arda. 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
- • Arda was once a predominantly female name but has become increasingly popular for boys in recent decades.
People living today
563
~ 1 in 608,800 Americans
Peak year
2006
41 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,059
Tracked since 1889
Gender
Gender distribution for Arda
Arda is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 854 total registrations, 522 (61.1%) were male and 332 (38.9%) were female.
Arda as a male name
- Ranked #5,059 in 2024
- 19 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2006 (41 births)
Arda as a female name
- Ranked #6,043 in 1964
- 6 female births in 1964
- Peak: 1922 (17 births)
Popularity
Arda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arda from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 246 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arda 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 Arda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ardas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. New York, New Jersey, California recorded the most babies named Arda, while Utah, Texas, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 20 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Arda
The name Arda has its origins in the Sindarin language, a fictional Elvish language created by J.R.R. Tolkien for his legendary novel The Lord of the Rings. It is derived from the Sindarin word "ard" meaning "realm" or "region." In Tolkien's world, Arda is the name given to the entire world, encompassing the continents of Middle-earth, Aman, and the surrounding seas.
The name Arda gained widespread recognition and popularity after the publication of Tolkien's iconic work in the mid-20th century. While it is not a traditional name found in any particular culture or language, it has been adopted by some fans of Tolkien's literature as a unique and meaningful choice for their children.
One of the earliest recorded uses of Arda as a given name can be found in the records of the British Royal Air Force during World War II. Arda Pegler, born in 1920, served as a pilot in the RAF and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for her exceptional service.
Another notable bearer of the name is Arda Mandikian, an Armenian-American photojournalist born in 1945. She is renowned for her coverage of various conflicts and humanitarian crises around the world, including the Vietnam War and the Armenian Genocide.
In the field of literature, Arda Arikan is a Turkish author and translator born in 1974. She has gained recognition for her work in translating novels from English into Turkish and for her own literary contributions.
Arda Turan, born in 1987, is a Turkish professional footballer who has played for various clubs, including Barcelona and the Turkish national team. He is considered one of the most talented and successful Turkish footballers of his generation.
Arda Ocal, born in 1984, is a Canadian sports journalist and broadcaster. He is well-known for his work as a host and commentator for various wrestling and sports entertainment programs, including those produced by WWE and TSN.
While the name Arda may not have a long historical lineage, it has gained a unique place in popular culture thanks to its association with Tolkien's legendary works. Its meaning and connection to the concept of a vast and wondrous world have resonated with many, leading to its adoption as a given name in various parts of the world.
People
Arda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arda 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
Arda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 563 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arda 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 608,800 US residents.
Is Arda a common name?
We classify Arda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 854 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arda most popular?
The single biggest year for Arda was 2006, when 41 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arda is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Arda a male name?
Yes, 61.1% of people registered as Arda 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.
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.