Arneta
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a Germanic root.
Name Census estimates that about 38 living Americans carry the first name Arneta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Arneta today is around 71 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arneta births was 1922 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arneta. 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 Arneta is about 71 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Arnetas were born before 1965.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Arneta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
38
~ 1 in 9,019,851 Americans
Peak year
1922
13 babies that year
Average age
71
years old
1968 SSA rank
#6,302
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Arneta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arneta from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 58 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Arneta remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arneta 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 Arneta 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 Arneta
The name Arneta is a feminine given name of uncertain origin, with roots that can be traced back to various cultures and languages throughout history.
One possible origin of the name Arneta is from the Germanic languages, where it may be a combination of the elements "arn" meaning "eagle" and "hild" meaning "battle." This would suggest that the name Arneta could have been used in ancient Germanic tribes as a name for a brave or fierce woman.
Another potential origin is from the Greek language, where the name Arneta may have derived from the word "arnos," meaning "lamb." In this context, the name could have been given to a gentle or meek individual.
Arneta may also have roots in the Slavic languages, particularly Russian, where it could be a variant of the name "Arinushka," a diminutive form of "Arina." This would link the name to the Greek name "Irene," meaning "peace."
While the exact origins of the name Arneta are uncertain, it has been documented in various historical records and texts over the centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 12th-century German epic poem "Nibelungenlied," where a character named Arneta is mentioned.
In the 16th century, Arneta was the name of a noblewoman from the House of Wittelsbach, a German dynasty that ruled over parts of Bavaria and the Palatinate region. She lived from 1528 to 1590 and was known for her involvement in the religious conflicts of the Reformation period.
Another notable figure named Arneta was Arneta Galloway, an American artist and illustrator who lived from 1891 to 1962. She was renowned for her illustrations in children's books and her work for various magazines and publications.
In the field of literature, Arneta Bevill was an American author and poet who lived from 1926 to 2015. She wrote several collections of poetry and was recognized for her contributions to Southern literature and her depictions of rural life.
Arneta Yardbrough, born in 1941, was a prominent figure in the American civil rights movement. She played a significant role in the desegregation efforts in St. Louis, Missouri, and worked tirelessly to promote equality and social justice.
Throughout history, the name Arneta has been worn by individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures, each leaving their mark in their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human experience.
People
Arneta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arneta 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
Arneta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arneta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 38 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arneta 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 9,019,851 US residents.
Is Arneta a common name?
We classify Arneta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 50.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 152 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arneta most popular?
The single biggest year for Arneta was 1922, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arneta is about 71 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 Arneta in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arneta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arneta 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.
Is Arneta still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arneta 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 Arneta 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 have the name Arneta?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Arneta on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.