Arlus
A masculine name perhaps derived from the French surname Arlut or Arlot.
Name Census estimates that about 2 living Americans carry the first name Arlus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Arlus today is around 90 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arlus births was 1924 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arlus. 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 Arlus is about 90 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Arlus' were born before 1946.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Arlus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
2
~ 1 in 171,377,169 Americans
Peak year
1924
6 babies that year
Average age
90
years old
1940 SSA rank
#3,477
Tracked since 1924
Popularity
Arlus: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arlus from the 1920s through to the 1940s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arlus 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 Arlus 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 Arlus
The name Arlus is an ancient one with its origins shrouded in mystery. It is believed to have originated in the region of Gaul, which covered parts of modern-day France, Belgium, and Germany, during the Roman imperial era.
Some scholars suggest that Arlus may be derived from the Gaulish word "arlos," meaning "bear" or "warrior." This connection to strength and bravery could explain its popularity among the Celtic tribes that inhabited the region.
Arlus first appeared in historical records during the 5th century CE, when it was mentioned in the writings of the Gallo-Roman poet and philosopher, Sidonius Apollinaris. He referenced a man named Arlus who served as a military commander under the Roman general Aetius.
Over the centuries, several notable figures bore the name Arlus. One of the earliest was Arlus of Reims, a Frankish nobleman who lived in the 6th century and played a significant role in the consolidation of the Merovingian dynasty.
Another prominent figure was Arlus the Wise, a scholar and philosopher who lived in the 9th century and was renowned for his contributions to the intellectual life of the Carolingian Renaissance.
In the 11th century, Arlus of Avranches was a celebrated Norman poet and cleric who wrote extensively about the Norman conquest of England.
The name Arlus also found its way into religious texts, with an Arlus mentioned in the 12th-century hagiography of Saint Anselm of Canterbury.
One of the most famous bearers of the name was Arlus de Montfort, a French nobleman and military leader who played a crucial role in the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars in the early 13th century.
While the name Arlus may have faded from common usage over time, its rich history and connections to warrior culture, scholarship, and religious tradition have left an indelible mark on the tapestry of European heritage.
People
Arlus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arlus 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
Arlus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arlus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arlus 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 171,377,169 US residents.
Is Arlus a common name?
We classify Arlus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arlus most popular?
The single biggest year for Arlus was 1924, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arlus is about 90 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 Arlus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arlus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arlus 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 Arlus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arlus 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 Arlus 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 Americans are named Arlus?
See how many Americans are named Arlus on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.