Unisex · #3,378 in 2026

Arlee

Arlee is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) on the Flathead Reservation, Lake County, Montana, United States. The population was 725 at the 2020 census. It is named after Alee, a Salish chief. The chief's name has no "r", as the Salish alphabet has no letter "r".

Current Rank
#3,378
Peak Rank
#1,439 (2023)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
+38%
👧 Girl peak #1,439 (1K total)
👦 Boy peak #2,229 (435 total)
👧As Girl Name
1907
First Year
2026
Last Year
2023
Peak Year
#1439
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
88
Years Active
👦As Boy Name
1915
First Year
2022
Last Year
1924
Peak Year
#2229
Peak Rank
435
Total Count
53
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Arlee

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Arlee is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) on the Flathead Reservation, Lake County, Montana, United States. The population was 725 at the 2020 census. It is named after Alee, a Salish chief. The chief's name has no "r", as the Salish alphabet has no letter "r".

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
Tipis at Arlee Esyapqeyni 2015, the Arlee Celebration Pow Wow Arlee was named after the Salish leader Arlee. In October 1873, he moved a small group of his people from the Bitterroot Valley , which was designated a "conditional reservation" in the 1855 Hellgate Treaty , to the Jocko Agency (later Flathead Indian Agency) located a few miles south of the current town of Arlee. This forced move stemmed from the efforts of a congressional delegation led by future president James Garfield to negotiate Salish removal from the Bitterroot Valley . The town and post office were established in 1885.

The Story of Arlee

As a girl name

Arlee first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1907, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2023, when 48 Arlees were born — ranking #3,327 that year. As of 2026, Arlee ranks #3,378 for girls with 46 births, rising sharply (+38% over the past five years). In total, more than 1K Arlees have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Arlee first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1915, with 13 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1924, when 14 Arlees were born — ranking #2,229 that year. As of 2026, Arlee ranks #10,860 for boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 435 Arlees have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

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Top 10
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No data

Names that sound like Arlee

Phonetically similar names — useful when Arlee 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 Arlee

What does the name Arlee mean?
Arlee is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) on the Flathead Reservation, Lake County, Montana, United States. The population was 725 at the 2020 census. It is named after Alee, a Salish chief. The chief's name has no "r", as the Salish alphabet has no letter "r".
How popular is Arlee in 2026?
In 2026, Arlee ranks #3,378 among girls' names in the U.S., with 46 babies given the name that year.
When was Arlee most popular?
Arlee reached its peak popularity in 2023, ranking #1,439 that year with 48 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Arlee most popular?
Arlee has historically been most popular in Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Arlee.
Is Arlee a unisex name?
Yes — Arlee is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 75% of Arlees assigned female and 25% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Arlee?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Arlee include Vassie, Georganna, Vicie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧 Similar Girl Names

👧
Vassie
Peak #1439
👧
Georganna
Peak #1439
👧
Vicie
Peak #1439
👧
Estefana
Peak #1439

👦 Similar Boy Names

👦
Fuller
Peak #2229
👦
Hersey
Peak #2229
👦
Boniface
Peak #2229
👦
Lamoine
Peak #2229

About the name Arlee

Arlee is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1907 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Arlee's peak popularity came in 2023 when it ranked #1,439. Use the chart and map above to compare Arlee's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.