Arsene
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "virile" or "manly".
Name Census estimates that about 30 living Americans carry the first name Arsene. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Arsene today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arsene births was 1920 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arsene. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Arsene. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
30
~ 1 in 11,425,145 Americans
Peak year
1920
10 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2023 SSA rank
#10,931
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Arsene: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arsene from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 21 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arsene 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 Arsene 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 Arsene
The name Arsene has its origins in the Late Latin name Arsenius, derived from the Greek word 'arsenikos' meaning 'male' or 'virile'. It was initially used as a surname in parts of Europe during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded use of Arsene as a given name can be traced back to the 4th century AD when Saint Arsenius, a Roman tutor who became an ascetic monk, lived in the Egyptian desert. His life and teachings were documented, leading to the popularization of the name among early Christian communities.
In the 9th century, Arsene was the name of a renowned Byzantine scholar and theologian, Arsene of Corfu, who played a significant role in the Iconoclastic controversies of the time. His writings and influence helped to solidify the name's association with intellectual and religious pursuits.
During the Middle Ages, the name Arsene gained popularity across Europe, particularly in France and Italy. One notable bearer of the name was Arsene Lupin, the fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise created by French writer Maurice Leblanc in the early 20th century.
Another famous Arsene was Arsene Wenger, the former manager of the Arsenal Football Club in the English Premier League, who was born in 1949 in Strasbourg, France. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and successful managers in the history of English football.
In the realm of literature, Arsene Houssaye was a French author and poet born in 1815, known for his works such as "Les Grandes Dames" and "Les Siecles Litteraires de la France". He was also the founder of the famous literary magazine "L'Artiste".
Arsene Lupin, the beloved French fictional character created by Maurice Leblanc, first appeared in the novel "Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Burglar" in 1905 and went on to feature in numerous books and adaptations, capturing the imagination of readers worldwide.
Lastly, Arsene Goedertier was a Belgian cyclist born in 1939, who won multiple stages of the Tour de France and other prestigious cycling events throughout his career in the 1960s and 1970s, cementing his place in the annals of cycling history.
People
Arsene + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arsene 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
Arsene: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arsene?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 30 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arsene 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 11,425,145 US residents.
Is Arsene a common name?
We classify Arsene as "Very Rare". It ranks above 46.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 62 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arsene most popular?
The single biggest year for Arsene was 1920, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arsene is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Arsene a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arsene 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.