Arner
A masculine given name derived from the Old Norse word "ǫrn", meaning "eagle".
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Arner. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Arner today is around 66 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arner births was 1953 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arner. 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 Arner is about 66 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Arners were born before 1970.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Arner. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1953
5 babies that year
Average age
66
years old
1953 SSA rank
#3,826
Tracked since 1953
Popularity
Arner: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Arner 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 Arner during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Arner
The name Arner is believed to have originated from the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the Germanic peoples of Scandinavia and their descendants during the Viking Age, from around the 8th to the 11th centuries. It is thought to be derived from the Old Norse word "arn," which means "eagle."
In ancient Norse mythology, the eagle was a revered symbol of strength, courage, and wisdom, often associated with Odin, the chief god in Norse mythology. The name Arner may have been given to individuals who displayed these qualities or were believed to be under the protection of Odin.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Arner can be found in the Icelandic sagas, which were written in the 13th and 14th centuries. These sagas were literary works that recounted the lives and adventures of famous Scandinavian figures from the Viking Age.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Arner. One of the earliest was Arner Arneson (c. 1050-1120), a Norwegian chieftain and landowner who played a significant role in the civil wars that occurred in Norway during the late 11th century.
Another prominent figure was Arner Munch (1463-1537), a Norwegian nobleman and statesman who served as the Lord Chancellor of Norway during the reign of King Christian II of Denmark and Norway.
In the field of literature, Arner Lauritzen (1874-1949) was a Norwegian author and poet who wrote in the Nynorsk language. His works often explored themes of rural life and the natural world.
Arner Westin (1892-1973) was a Swedish architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Stockholm, including the Stockholm Public Library and the Hötorget Buildings.
More recently, Arner Anees (1961-present) is a Swedish actor and director who has appeared in numerous films and television shows, both in Sweden and internationally.
It is worth noting that while the name Arner has historical roots in Scandinavia, it has since spread to other parts of the world and may have evolved or taken on different meanings in different cultures and languages.
People
Arner + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arner 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
Arner: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arner?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arner 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Arner a common name?
We classify Arner as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% 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 Arner most popular?
The single biggest year for Arner was 1953, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arner is about 66 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 Arner in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arner a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arner 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 Arner still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arner 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 Arner 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 Arner?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.