Unisex name · since 1889
Ardell
2,635 babies named Ardell in U.S. Social Security records since 1889, with the highest year being 1922. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3,909 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 2,635
- born since 1889
- 1920s
- peak decade
2,635 girls have been named Ardell since 1889, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Ardell has 2,635 recorded births among girls since 1889, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1889 to 1977.
- #3,909 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 2,635 born since 1889
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ardell ranks #3,909 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 2,635 born since 1889, peaking in the 1920s.
- #3,909 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 2,635
- born since 1889
- 1920s
- peak decade
Ardell's 2,635 recorded births place it above 94.59% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
20 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Minnesota.
Ardell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Ardell splits its recorded history at 1931: 45% of all births land in the more recent half, 55% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1889 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1922 peak of 96 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Ardell popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1889–1977
- Peak year (1922)
- 96
- Annual births at peak, across 89 years of records
Ardell popularity over time - boys
2,435 total births recorded since 1907 (Ardell as boys' name)
Ardell by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (763 births, 29% of the file).
1920s was Ardell's strongest decade.
763 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Ardell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 52
1890s
52 births
- 1900s 104
1900s
104 births
- 1910s
1910s
474 births
- 1920s
1920s
763 births
- 1930s
1930s
556 births
- 1940s
1940s
344 births
- 1950s 240
1950s
240 births
- 1960s 87
1960s
87 births
- 1970s 10
1970s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 763 births (29% of all-time use).
How Ardell 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 Ardell's total volume
Ardell by state
Where Ardell concentrates geographically, total births since 1889
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Minnesota | | 246 | 9.3% |
| #2 | Wisconsin | | 132 | 5.0% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 80 | 3.0% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 39 | 1.5% |
| #5 | South Dakota | | 34 | 1.3% |
| #6 | North Dakota | | 23 | 0.9% |
| #7 | Mississippi | | 22 | 0.8% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 17 | 0.6% |
246 of 2,635 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 20 reporting states.
Ardell appears in 20 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ardell? ▼
Where does Ardell sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Ardell most popular? ▼
Where is Ardell most popular? ▼
Is Ardell a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Ardell been used? ▼
What names are similar to Ardell? ▼
What to do with Ardell's data
- Ardell's decade-level peak was the 1920s (763 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Minnesota records the most Ardells (246 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Minnesota names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ardell
Nearby Names Like Ardell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ardell
Compare Ardell side by side: Ardell vs Arden Ardell vs Ardis Ardell vs Ardith
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ardell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1922)
Similar record span (~88 yrs)
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, 1889–1977 (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 Ardell 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.