Arlen
Arlen is a given name. Notable people with the given name include:Arlen Erdahl (1931–2023), American politician Arlen Escarpeta, Belizean actor Arlen Harris, American football player Arlen Lancaster, chief of the United States Department of Agriculture Arlen López, Cuban boxer Arlen Ness (1939–2019), American motorcycle designer Arlen Roth, American guitarist Arlen Siegfreid (1946–2020), American…
- English
Meaning & Origin of Arlen
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Arlen is a given name. Notable people with the given name include:Arlen Erdahl (1931–2023), American politician Arlen Escarpeta, Belizean actor Arlen Harris, American football player Arlen Lancaster, chief of the United States Department of Agriculture Arlen López, Cuban boxer Arlen Ness (1939–2019), American motorcycle designer Arlen Roth, American guitarist Arlen Siegfreid (1946–2020), American…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Arlen
As a girl name
Arlen first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1918, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2007: 31 births, good for #4,674 nationwide. The 2000s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 26% of all recorded Arlens. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #5,546 among girl names with 22 births, rising sharply (+17% over the past five years). In total, more than 829 Arlens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Arlen first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1909, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1934: 206 births, good for #380 nationwide. The 1930s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 22% of all recorded Arlens. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,591 among boy names with 108 births, rising sharply (+44% over the past five years). In total, more than 7K Arlens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Arlen
Phonetically similar names — useful when Arlen 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 Arlen
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About the name Arlen
Arlen is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1909 and has accumulated 7K births in the dataset. Arlen's peak popularity came in 1934 when it ranked #380. Use the chart and map above to compare Arlen's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1934 →
- Names of the 1930s →
- 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.