Arlen
A masculine name derived from the Hebrew words meaning "pledge" or "promise".
Name Census estimates that about 5,211 living Americans carry the first name Arlen. It is a predominantly male name (90.2% of registrations). The average person named Arlen today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arlen births was 1934 (215 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arlen. 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
5.2K
~ 1 in 65,775 Americans
Peak year
1934
215 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,680
Tracked since 1909
Gender
Gender distribution for Arlen
Arlen leans heavily male at 90.2% of total registrations, but 786 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Arlen as a male name
- Ranked #1,680 in 2024
- 99 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1934 (206 births)
Arlen as a female name
- Ranked #6,174 in 2024
- 19 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2007 (31 births)
Popularity
Arlen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arlen from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 1,713 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1930s peak, Arlen remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arlen 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 Arlen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Arlens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 32 states and territories. California, Minnesota, Texas recorded the most babies named Arlen, while Mississippi, Massachusetts, Missouri recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 99 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Arlen
The name Arlen originated from the Old English word "ærn," which means "dwelling" or "house." This name first appeared in the 8th century AD in England and was primarily used as a surname before becoming a given name.
During the Middle Ages, the name was primarily found in regions of England and Scotland, where it was commonly spelled as "Arlene" or "Arlyne." The earliest recorded instance of the name Arlen dates back to the Domesday Book, a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, where it was listed as a surname.
In the 14th century, the name Arlen appeared in the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, the famous English poet and author. Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" includes a character named "Arlen of Bukton," which suggests the name was in use during that time period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the given name Arlen was Arlen Fierson, a Scottish merchant and trader who lived in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Arlen Fairchild, an English soldier who fought in the War of the Roses (1455-1487).
In the 16th century, the name gained popularity among Puritans in England and was sometimes used as a variation of the name "Arlene." One of the most well-known individuals with this name was Arlen Dyer, an English Protestant reformer and writer who lived from 1530 to 1594.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Arlen spread to other parts of Europe and North America, where it was adopted by various communities. One notable figure from this period was Arlen Witherspoon, an American Revolutionary War soldier who fought alongside George Washington (1732-1794).
In the 19th century, the name Arlen saw a resurgence in popularity, particularly in the United States. One of the most famous individuals with this name was Arlen Sackler, an American philanthropist and entrepreneur who co-founded Purdue Pharma (1915-2010).
Another notable figure from this era was Arlen Tatum, an American jazz pianist and composer widely regarded as one of the greatest virtuosos of his time (1909-1956).
Notable bearers
Famous people named Arlen
People
Arlen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arlen 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
Arlen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arlen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5,211 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arlen 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 65,775 US residents.
Is Arlen a common name?
We classify Arlen as "Rare". It ranks above 96.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 8,023 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arlen most popular?
The single biggest year for Arlen was 1934, when 215 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arlen is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Arlen a male name?
Yes, 90.2% of people registered as Arlen 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.