Arling
Of Celtic origin, meaning "oath ring" or "vow ring".
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Arling. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Arling today is around 84 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arling births was 1921 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arling. 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 Arling is about 84 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Arlings were born before 1952.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Arling. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1921
9 babies that year
Average age
84
years old
1933 SSA rank
#3,671
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Arling: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arling from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 55 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arling 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 Arling 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 Arling
The name Arling has its roots in the Old Norse language, originating from the Nordic countries of Scandinavia during the Viking Age, which spanned from the late 8th century to the late 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "arlingr," which means "descendent of an earl" or "son of a nobleman."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Arling can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, which are a collection of historical narratives and myths written in the 13th and 14th centuries. These sagas often featured characters with names of Norse origin, including Arling.
The name Arling gained some prominence in the Middle Ages, particularly in Scandinavia and parts of Northern Europe. One notable figure from this period was Arling of Västergötland, a Swedish nobleman and military leader who played a role in the Swedish-Danish Wars of the 14th century.
As the name spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Arling, Aarling, and Ærling. One of the earliest recorded uses of the name in England can be traced back to the 12th century, when an individual named Arling de Weston was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Arling. One such person was Arling Enge (1847-1922), a Norwegian-American businessman and politician who served as the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota from 1895 to 1899.
Another prominent figure was Arling Monrad Tvedt (1882-1955), a Norwegian geologist and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions and played a crucial role in mapping the Arctic coastline of Norway.
In the field of literature, Arling Blædel (1935-2020) was a prominent Danish writer and playwright who authored numerous novels, plays, and television scripts, including the acclaimed series "Matador."
One of the earliest recorded female bearers of the name was Arling Baadsgaard (1906-1993), a Danish author and children's book writer who wrote under the pen name Arling Kræmmer.
Another notable individual with the name Arling was Arling Olsen (1913-2005), a Norwegian speed skater who won the gold medal in the 10,000 meters event at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
People
Arling + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arling 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
Arling: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arling?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arling 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 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Arling a common name?
We classify Arling as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 78 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arling most popular?
The single biggest year for Arling was 1921, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arling is about 84 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 Arling in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arling a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arling 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 Arling still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arling 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 Arling 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 are called Arling?
You can see how many people have the name Arling on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.