Unisex name · since 1880

Ara

Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 3,565 babies named Ara, peaking in 2022. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#3,216 of 72,339
all-time among girls
#3,250 of 17,297
2025 SSA year
3,565
born since 1880
2010s
peak decade

3,565 babies have been named Ara since 1880, making it today's #3250 unisex name.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ara has been recorded 3,565 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #3250 nationally and more common than 81% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.

  • #3,216 of 72,339 all-time among girls
  • #3,250 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
  • 3,565 born since 1880
  • 2010s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ara ranks #3,216 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,250 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 3,565 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.

#3,216 of 72,339
all-time among girls
#3,250 of 17,297
2025 SSA year
3,565
born since 1880
2010s
peak decade
0%100%Median name50%81.2%
Ara vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
Upper archive tier
All-time archive position

Ara's 3,565 recorded births place it above 95.55% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.

17 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

17 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.

How Ara compares

3,565 Top 17% higher than 83% of 17,297 names currently given to girls

Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.

Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data

How the numbers stack up

Ara's all-time total is 9x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.

Metric Ara Median girls name (Kyann) #1 girls name (Olivia)
All-time total births 3,565 376 567,345
Peak-year births 78 21 19,840

Ara's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Ara's full recorded timeline at 1953, 51% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 49% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2022 peak of 78 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Ara popularity over time - girls

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025

Outside the top 1,000
Peak year (2022)
78
Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
020406080100 188018991918193719561975199420132025 48

Ara popularity over time - boys

1,301 total births recorded since 1893 (Ara as boys' name)

Unisex variant - 1,301 births
010203040 189319241939196119741987200020132025 10

Ara by decade

2010s is the heaviest window (488 births, 14% of the file).

2010s was Ara's strongest decade.

488 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.

Ara births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 2010s at 488 births (14% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

How Ara compares to similarly-sized names

Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Ara's total volume

Ara vs 15 similarly-sized girls names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%2%4%6%8%10%12% 050100150200 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -74, 3.8%-140, 2.4%-20, 9.9%-76, 4%-120, 3.3%-50, 5.1%-113, 3.1%-113, 7.9%-146, 3.3%-137, 2.8%-72, 5.1%-87, 2.5%-113, 3.7%-65, 5.1%-75, 4.5%Ara-146, 2.2%Ara
Ara vs 15 similarly-sized girls names

Ara by state

Where Ara concentrates geographically, total births since 1880

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Ara
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 Texas
226 6.3%
#2 California
185 5.2%
#3 Alabama
58 1.6%
#4 New York
38 1.1%
#5 Tennessee
20 0.6%
#6 Arkansas
18 0.5%
#7 Florida
17 0.5%
#8 Georgia
17 0.5%
Texas share of Ara's total US births 6.3%
Even split

226 of 3,565 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 17 reporting states.

Ara appears in 17 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Ara? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 3,565 babies named Ara. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #3,216 of 72,339 girls' names by total births. In 2025, it holds #3,250 of 17,297 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2022, with 78 births.
Where does Ara sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ara ranks #3,216 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,250 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the 2025 SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Ara most popular? ▼
Ara was most popular in the 2010s decade with 488 total births. The single peak year was 2022.
Where is Ara most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ara are Texas (226 births), California (185 births), Alabama (58 births).
Is Ara a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Ara is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 3,565 births, and as a boy's name it has 1,301 births.
How long has the name Ara been used? ▼
Records for Ara go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Ara? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Arabella, Araceli, Aracely, Araya, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.

What to do with Ara's data

  • Ara's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (488 total births) through the 2020s (359) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
  • Texas records the most Aras (226 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Ara

Nearby Names Like Ara

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ara

Arabella Girl
#213 27,957 births
Araceli Girl
#746 20,268 births
Aracely Girl
#1432 9,906 births
Araya Girl
#1052 4,188 births
Aranza Girl
#1491 3,395 births

Compare Ara side by side: Ara vs Arabella Ara vs Araceli Ara vs Aracely

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar popularity rank to Ara

Rosetta #3249
28,161 births · Peak 1948
Unknown #3251
9,826 births · Peak 1954
Sayori #3248
331 births · Peak 2023
Delina #3252
1,931 births · Peak 2025
Mahlani #3247
457 births · Peak 2023
Havana #3253
1,604 births · Peak 2018
Mayari #3246
276 births · Peak 2025
Valarie #3254
18,714 births · Peak 1964

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Ara: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ara draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.