Arson
An English name derived from the arson crime, meaning "willful burning".
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the first name Arson. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Arson today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arson births was 2023 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arson. 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
127
~ 1 in 2,698,853 Americans
Peak year
2023
15 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,844
Tracked since 2010
Popularity
Arson: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arson from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 68 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
Arson 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 Arson during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Arsons live
Origin
Meaning and history of Arson
The given name Arson finds its origins in the Proto-Germanic language, with its roots dating back to the 5th century AD. The name is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "arsōn," which means "to burn." This term eventually evolved into the Old English word "ærnan," meaning "to set on fire."
In ancient Germanic cultures, fire was a significant element, often associated with purification rituals and religious ceremonies. The name Arson might have been bestowed upon individuals who played a role in these sacred fire rituals or were born during such occasions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arson can be found in the medieval Icelandic sagas, where it appears as "Árnson." These sagas, which date back to the 13th century, often mentioned individuals with this name, indicating its usage during that time period.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Arson. One such individual was Arson of Le Mans (c. 1033 - 1109), a French Benedictine monk and scholar known for his contributions to theology and philosophy. Another notable bearer of the name was Arson the Elder (c. 1045 - 1122), a Danish chieftain and military leader who played a significant role in the Danish conquest of England.
In the 16th century, Arson Gyldenløve (1513 - 1584) was a Danish admiral and naval commander who served under King Christian III. He was renowned for his victories against Swedish forces during the Northern Seven Years' War.
The name Arson also appeared in the 18th century, with Arson Fiorentino (1718 - 1794), an Italian painter and art theorist who was a prominent figure in the Neoclassical movement.
In more recent times, Arson Welles (1915 - 1985) was an American actor, director, and writer, best known for his groundbreaking film "Citizen Kane" and his significant contributions to the art of cinema.
While the name Arson has fallen out of common usage in modern times, it remains a fascinating part of historical onomastics, reflecting the cultural significance of fire and its rituals in ancient Germanic societies.
People
Arson + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arson 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
Arson: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arson?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 127 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arson 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 2,698,853 US residents.
Is Arson a common name?
We classify Arson as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 128 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arson most popular?
The single biggest year for Arson was 2023, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arson is about 7 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 Arson in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arson a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arson 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 Arson still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arson 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 Arson 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 Americans are named Arson?
See how many people share the name Arson on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.