NameCensus.
Very Rare

Arly

A French variant of the masculine name Arley or a feminine diminutive of Arlette.

Name Census estimates that about 852 living Americans carry the first name Arly. It is a predominantly female name (92.3% of registrations). The average person named Arly today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arly births was 2003 (253 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Arly. 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

852

~ 1 in 402,294 Americans

Peak year

2003

253 babies that year

Average age

21

years old

2024 SSA rank

#11,176

Tracked since 1925

Gender

Gender distribution for Arly

Arly leans heavily female at 92.3% of total registrations, but 67 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.

92% female
Male67 (7.7%)Female805 (92.3%)

Arly as a male name

  • Ranked #12,450 in 2024
  • 5 male births in 2024
  • Peak: 2007 (10 births)

Arly as a female name

  • Ranked #11,176 in 2024
  • 8 female births in 2024
  • Peak: 2003 (246 births)

Popularity

Arly: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Arly from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 546 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.

Babies born per year

MaleFemale
0631271902531930194019501960197019801990200020102020

Decades

Arly 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 Arly during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1920s505
1980s02121
1990s0125125
2000s17529546
2010s3574109
2020s105666

Geography

Where Arlys live

The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Arly, while Nevada, Indiana, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 36 registrations each.

Origin

Meaning and history of Arly

The name Arly is a diminutive form of the name Arlo, which itself is a variation of the name Arlie. The name Arlie has its origins in the Old English language, deriving from the words "ærn" meaning "eagle" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing". It was a name given to children born or raised in a meadow or clearing where eagles were frequently spotted.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Arlie dates back to the 9th century in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, where it was mentioned as the name of a young boy from the village of Earningwold in present-day Yorkshire, England. The name gained popularity among the Anglo-Saxon nobility during the Middle Ages.

In the 12th century, a notable figure named Arlie of Pembroke was a Welsh nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the conflicts between the Welsh and the Normans. He was renowned for his bravery and tactical skills on the battlefield.

During the Renaissance period, the name Arlie was associated with the Italian artist and architect Arlie Fiore, born in 1460 in Florence. He was known for his intricate architectural designs and his contributions to the development of the Renaissance style.

In the 18th century, Arlie Macdonald was a Scottish poet and playwright whose works were widely acclaimed for their wit and social commentary. She was born in 1720 in Edinburgh and was a prominent figure in the Scottish literary circles of her time.

Another notable figure was Arlie Neville, an English botanist and explorer born in 1785. He traveled extensively throughout the British colonies, documenting and cataloging various plant species. His work contributed significantly to the advancement of botanical knowledge during the 19th century.

While the name Arly itself is a more recent diminutive form, it carries the same linguistic roots and historical significance as its parent name, Arlie. The name evokes a sense of connection with nature, particularly with the majestic eagle and the serene meadows of its origin.

People

Arly + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Arly 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

Arly: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Arly?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 852 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arly 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 402,294 US residents.

Is Arly a common name?

We classify Arly as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 872 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Arly most popular?

The single biggest year for Arly was 2003, when 253 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arly is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Arly a female name?

Yes, 92.3% of people registered as Arly 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.

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Arly

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