Arion
Arion was a kitharode in ancient Greece, a Dionysiac poet credited with inventing the dithyramb. The islanders of Lesbos claimed him as their native son, but Arion found a patron in Periander, tyrant of Corinth. Although notable for his musical inventions, Arion is chiefly remembered for the fantastic myth of his kidnapping by pirates and miraculous rescue by dolphins, a folktale motif.
Meaning & Origin of Arion
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Arion was a kitharode in ancient Greece, a Dionysiac poet credited with inventing the dithyramb. The islanders of Lesbos claimed him as their native son, but Arion found a patron in Periander, tyrant of Corinth. Although notable for his musical inventions, Arion is chiefly remembered for the fantastic myth of his kidnapping by pirates and miraculous rescue by dolphins, a folktale motif.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Arion
As a girl name
Arion first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1982, with 8 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1998: 71 births, good for #2,066 nationwide. About 38% of every Arion on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. Arion last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 620 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1980s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Arion as a boy name dates back to 1918, when 5 babies received it. 2014 was its biggest year on record, with 89 newborns named Arion — #1,701 in the national rankings. About 33% of every Arion on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Arion ranks #2,658 for boys with 49 births, falling sharply (-19%). All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Arion
Phonetically similar names — useful when Arion is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Arion
What does the name Arion mean?
How popular is Arion in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Arion most popular?
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About the name Arion
Arion is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1918 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Arion's peak popularity came in 2014 when it ranked #1,701. Use the chart and map above to compare Arion's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2014 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.