Girls' name · since 1981
Arial
Since 1981, U.S. Social Security records show 1,197 babies named Arial, peaking in 1991. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #6,623 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #11,224 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,197
- born since 1981
- 1990s
- peak decade
1,197 babies have been named Arial since 1981, making it today's #11224 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Arial has been recorded 1,197 times among girls since 1981, currently ranked #11224 nationally and more common than 35% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1981 to 2025.
- #6,623 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #11,224 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 1,197 born since 1981
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Arial ranks #6,623 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #11,224 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 1,197 born since 1981, peaking in the 1990s.
- #6,623 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #11,224 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,197
- born since 1981
- 1990s
- peak decade
Arial's 1,197 recorded births place it above 90.84% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
8 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Arial compares
1,197 Top 29% higher than 71% 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
Arial's all-time total is 3x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Arial | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,197 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 69 | 21 | 19,840 |
Arial's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Arial's SSA record in two at 2002 and the more recent half accounts for 48% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 52%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1981, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1991 peak of 69, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Arial popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1981–2025
- Peak year (1991)
- 69
- Annual births at peak, across 45 years of records
Arial by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (431 births, 36% of the file).
1990s was Arial's strongest decade.
431 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Arial births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 102
1980s
102 births
- 1990s
1990s
431 births
- 2000s
2000s
414 births
- 2010s
2010s
219 births
- 2020s 31
2020s
31 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 431 births (36% of all-time use).
How Arial 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 Arial's total volume
Arial by state
Where Arial concentrates geographically, total births since 1981
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 89 | 7.4% |
| #2 | California | | 39 | 3.3% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 17 | 1.4% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 15 | 1.3% |
| #5 | Indiana | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #6 | Minnesota | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 5 | 0.4% |
89 of 1,197 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 8 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Arial? ▼
Where does Arial sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Arial most popular? ▼
Where is Arial most popular? ▼
How long has the name Arial been used? ▼
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What to do with Arial's data
- Arial's decade-level peak was the 1990s (431 total births); usage has since declined to 31 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Arials (89 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 Arial
Nearby Names Like Arial
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Arial
Compare Arial side by side: Arial vs Ariana Arial vs Arianna Arial vs Aria
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Arial
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Arial: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1991)
Similar record span (~44 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, 1981–2025 (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 Arial 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.