Arsen
A masculine name of Persian origin meaning "male, virile".
Name Census estimates that about 583 living Americans carry the first name Arsen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Arsen today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arsen births was 2024 (39 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arsen. 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
583
~ 1 in 587,915 Americans
Peak year
2024
39 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,097
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Arsen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arsen from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 261 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Arsen remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arsen 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 Arsen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Arsens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Illinois, New York recorded the most babies named Arsen, while Texas, New York, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 58 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Arsen
The name Arsen has its origins in the Armenian language and culture, with roots dating back to ancient times. The name is derived from the Armenian word "arsen," which means "male" or "masculine." This suggests that the name was likely given to signify strength, virility, and valor.
In ancient Armenian mythology, Arsen was also the name of a legendary hero known for his bravery and prowess in battle. Some historical records indicate that the name may have been used by Armenian nobility and warriors as early as the 5th century AD, during the height of the Armenian kingdom.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arsen can be found in the Armenian epic poem "Daredevils of Sassoun," which dates back to the 8th century AD. In this legendary tale, Arsen is the name of one of the central characters, a skilled warrior and leader.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Arsen. One of the most famous was Arsen of Sapor, a 10th-century Armenian scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and theology. Another prominent figure was Arsen Ier, the 61st Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, who lived from 1624 to 1673.
In the realm of literature, the name Arsen is associated with the 19th-century Armenian writer and poet, Arsen Ghazikian (1838-1887), who played a crucial role in the development of Armenian literature during the period of the Ottoman Empire.
Another notable Arsen was Arsen Adamov (1886-1941), a Bulgarian playwright and novelist who gained recognition for his avant-garde works and his contribution to the development of absurdist theatre.
In more recent times, Arsen Avakov (born 1964) is a prominent Ukrainian politician and businessman who served as the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine from 2014 to 2021.
While the name Arsen may not be as common today as it once was, its ancient roots and historical significance in Armenian culture and literature have cemented its place in the annals of given names from around the world.
People
Arsen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arsen 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
Arsen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arsen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 583 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arsen 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 587,915 US residents.
Is Arsen a common name?
We classify Arsen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 606 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arsen most popular?
The single biggest year for Arsen was 2024, when 39 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arsen is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Arsen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arsen 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.
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.