Total births
2,789
Girls' name · since 1888
Arla
2,789 babies named Arla in U.S. Social Security records since 1888, with the highest year being 1934. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #5157
- among girls today
- 2,789
- born since 1888
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other girls
2,789 babies have been named Arla since 1888, making it today's #5157 girls' name.
Arla has 2,789 recorded births among girls since 1888, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5157 as of the latest data, more common than 71% of girls, busiest in the 1930s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1888 to 2025.
- #5157 among girls today
- 2,789 born since 1888
- 1930s peak decade
- 71% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Arla is currently the #5157 girls' name in America, more common than 71% of girls - 2,789 born since 1888, peaking in the 1930s.
- #5157
- among girls today
- 2,789
- born since 1888
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other girls
Arla vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5157
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 71% of names given to girls today.
1930s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Arla was born in this single decade.
1934
Single peak year
64 babies were named Arla in 1934 - its busiest year on record.
How Arla compares
2,789 Top 18% higher than 82% of 17,726 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
Arla's all-time total is 7x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Arla | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,789 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 64 | 48 | 19,840 |
Arla's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Arla's SSA record in two at 1952 and the more recent half accounts for 35% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 65%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1888, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1934 peak of 64, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Arla at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1934
Current rank
#5,157
Active since
1888
Arla popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1888–2025
- Peak year (1934)
- 64
- Annual births at peak, across 138 years of records
Arla popularity over time - boys
17 total births recorded since 1916 (Arla as boys' name)
Arla by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Arla's strongest decade.
547 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Arla births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 36
1890s
36 births
- 1900s 46
1900s
46 births
- 1910s 210
1910s
210 births
- 1920s
1920s
400 births
- 1930s
1930s
547 births
- 1940s
1940s
465 births
- 1950s
1950s
397 births
- 1960s
1960s
242 births
- 1970s 111
1970s
111 births
- 1980s 75
1980s
75 births
- 1990s 10
1990s
10 births
- 2000s 10
2000s
10 births
- 2010s 90
2010s
90 births
- 2020s 145
2020s
145 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 547 births (20% of all-time use).
How Arla 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 Arla's total volume
Arla vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Arla by state
Where Arla concentrates geographically, total births since 1888
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 98 | 3.5% |
| #2 | Iowa | | 88 | 3.2% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 72 | 2.6% |
| #4 | Minnesota | | 71 | 2.5% |
| #5 | California | | 47 | 1.7% |
| #6 | Wisconsin | | 41 | 1.5% |
| #7 | South Dakota | | 29 | 1.0% |
| #8 | North Dakota | | 12 | 0.4% |
Pennsylvania share of Arla's total US births 3.5%
Even split
98 of 2,789 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 15 reporting states.
Arla appears in 15 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Arla? ▼
Arla has been given to 2,789 babies in the U.S. since 1888, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #5157 as of the latest data. 64 babies were born in 1934, its single highest year.
When was Arla most popular? ▼
Arla was most popular in the 1930s decade with 547 total births. The single peak year was 1934.
Where is Arla most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Arla are Pennsylvania (98 births), Iowa (88 births), Michigan (72 births).
How long has the name Arla been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Arla since 1888 -- 138 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Arla? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Arlene, Arline, Arleen, Arlette, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Arla's data
- Arla's decade-level peak was the 1930s (547 total births); usage has since declined to 145 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Arlas (98 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Arla
Nearby Names Like Arla
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Arla
Arlene Girl
#1799 143,010 births
Arline Girl
17,590 births
Arleen Girl
#4782 12,611 births
Arlette Girl
#583 8,109 births
Arleth Girl
#428 6,840 births
Compare Arla side by side: Arla vs Arlene Arla vs Arline Arla vs Arleen
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Arla
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1888–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Arla: #5157 Girls' Name - 2,789 Births, Peak 1934." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/arla. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Arla 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 July 2026.