Arilla
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of Aurelia.
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Arilla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Arilla today is around 90 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arilla births was 1915 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arilla. 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 Arilla is about 90 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Arillas were born before 1946.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Arilla. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1915
11 babies that year
Average age
90
years old
1939 SSA rank
#4,285
Tracked since 1888
Popularity
Arilla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arilla from the 1880s through to the 1930s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 69 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Arilla remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arilla 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 Arilla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Arilla
The name Arilla finds its roots in the ancient Germanic languages, where it was derived from the Gothic word "arus," meaning "eagle." This name was prevalent among the Goths and other Germanic tribes during the early medieval period, particularly in the regions of modern-day Germany, Austria, and parts of Eastern Europe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arilla can be found in the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century manuscript containing fragments of the Gothic translation of the Bible. It is believed that the name was used by Arian Christian Goths, who adopted it as a symbol of strength and nobility, much like the eagle.
In the 9th century, the name Arilla gained prominence in the Frankish kingdom, where it was borne by Arilla of Saxony (c. 790 - c. 860), a Carolingian noblewoman and the wife of Louis the Pious, the Holy Roman Emperor. Her influence as a political figure and her association with the imperial court helped popularize the name across Western Europe.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Arilla appeared in various historical records and chronicles, often associated with members of the nobility or the clergy. One notable example is Arilla of Laon (c. 1040 - 1115), a French abbess and scholar who gained renown for her literary works and her contributions to the intellectual life of the time.
In the 13th century, the name Arilla was recorded in the chronicles of the Teutonic Knights, a Germanic Catholic military order, suggesting its continued use among the Germanic peoples. One prominent figure bearing this name was Arilla von Sayn (c. 1230 - 1296), a German noblewoman and benefactor of the Teutonic Order.
During the Renaissance period, the name Arilla experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly in Italy. One notable bearer of this name was Arilla Guarnaschelli (1503 - 1580), an Italian Renaissance painter and the daughter of the renowned artist Giulio Romano. Her artistic works and her association with the cultural circles of the time helped to further popularize the name.
People
Arilla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arilla 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
Arilla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arilla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arilla 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Arilla a common name?
We classify Arilla as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 175 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arilla most popular?
The single biggest year for Arilla was 1915, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arilla is about 90 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Arilla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arilla 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.
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.