Arkadian
A name of Greek origin meaning "from Arcadia," a pastoral region of ancient Greece.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Arkadian. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Arkadian today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arkadian births was 2012 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arkadian. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Arkadian. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2012
5 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2012 SSA rank
#12,414
Tracked since 2012
Popularity
Arkadian: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Arkadian 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 Arkadian during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Arkadian
The name Arkadian is believed to have its origins in ancient Greek culture, deriving from the word "Arkadia," which referred to a region in the central Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. This region was known for its rugged, mountainous terrain and its association with pastoral life and the worship of the god Pan.
Arkadia was considered a place of natural beauty and simplicity, where the inhabitants were believed to live in harmony with nature. The name Arkadian likely emerged as a way to identify those who hailed from this region or embraced the ideals associated with the Arcadian way of life.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Arkadian can be found in the works of ancient Greek authors, such as Virgil and Ovid, who referenced the Arcadian shepherds and their pastoral lifestyle in their poetry and writings.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Arkadian. One prominent figure was Arkadian of Antioch (born around 200 AD), a Christian martyr who was executed during the Roman persecutions of the early church. His story and martyrdom were recorded in various early Christian writings.
Another significant figure was Arkadian of Alexandria (circa 5th century AD), a prominent Neoplatonic philosopher and mathematician who made contributions to the study of number theory and the interpretation of Plato's works.
In the Middle Ages, Arkadian of Cyrene (born around 1100) was a renowned scholar and translator who played a crucial role in preserving and disseminating ancient Greek texts in the Arabic-speaking world.
During the Renaissance period, Arkadian Bassus (1467-1535) was an Italian humanist and poet who wrote extensively on classical themes and contributed to the revival of interest in ancient Greek literature and culture.
More recently, Arkadian Golikov (1922-1987) was a Soviet writer and playwright who gained recognition for his works exploring the experiences of World War II and the challenges faced by the Russian people during that era.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Arkadian, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural heritage associated with this name.
People
Arkadian + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arkadian 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
Arkadian: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arkadian?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arkadian 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Arkadian a common name?
We classify Arkadian as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% 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 Arkadian most popular?
The single biggest year for Arkadian was 2012, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arkadian is about 14 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 Arkadian in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arkadian a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arkadian 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 Arkadian still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arkadian 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 Arkadian 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 share the name Arkadian?
Want to know how many Americans are named Arkadian? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.