The name Arnie is a diminutive form of the Germanic name Arnold, which is derived from the Old German words "arn" meaning "eagle" and "wald" meaning "ruler" or "bright". The name was popular among the Franks and other Germanic tribes during the Middle Ages.

In the 8th century, there was a bishop named Arnoldus who became the patron saint of brewers, and this helped to popularize the name in Christian Europe. The name was also borne by several medieval abbots and monks, including Arnold of Soissons, a French monk who lived in the 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Arnie dates back to the 13th century, when an Arnie von Arnstein was mentioned in a German chronicle. In the 14th century, there was an Arnie von Windecken, a German knight and chronicler who served under Emperor Charles IV.

Over the centuries, there have been several notable individuals named Arnie or Arnold. One of the most famous was the German monk and theologian Arnold of Brescia (c. 1090-1155), who was a leading critic of the wealth and corruption of the Roman Catholic Church in the 12th century.

Another prominent figure was the Dutch philosopher and theologian Arnold Geulincx (1624-1669), who was a key figure in the development of occasionalism, a philosophical theory that denied the existence of causal relationships between events.

In the 19th century, there was the German poet and novelist Arnold Schlönbach (1817-1855), who was a member of the Young Germany literary movement. Around the same time, there was also the English writer and critic Arnold Bennett (1867-1931), who is best known for his novels set in the industrial towns of the Midlands.

In the 20th century, one of the most famous people named Arnie was the American actor and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger (born 1947), who served as the Governor of California from 2003 to 2011. Another well-known Arnie was the American golfer Arnold Palmer (1929-2016), who was one of the greatest and most popular players in the history of the sport.