Boys' name · since 1912
Arlan
3,434 babies named Arlan in U.S. Social Security records since 1912, with the highest year being 1936. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2,312 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,397 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,434
- born since 1912
- 1940s
- peak decade
Arlan currently ranks #2397 among boys' names in America, with 3,434 babies recorded since 1912.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Arlan has been recorded 3,434 times among boys since 1912, currently ranked #2397 nationally and more common than 83% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1940s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2025.
- #2,312 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #2,397 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 3,434 born since 1912
- 1940s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Arlan ranks #2,312 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #2,397 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 3,434 born since 1912, peaking in the 1940s.
- #2,312 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,397 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,434
- born since 1912
- 1940s
- peak decade
Arlan's 3,434 recorded births place it above 94.91% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
15 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Pennsylvania.
How Arlan compares
3,434 Top 16% higher than 84% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Arlan's all-time total is 9x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Arlan | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,434 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 87 | 34 | 22,252 |
Arlan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Arlan's SSA record in two at 1969 and the more recent half accounts for 31% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 69%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1995, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1936 peak of 87, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Arlan popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (1936)
- 87
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Arlan by decade
1940s is the heaviest window (606 births, 18% of the file).
1940s was Arlan's strongest decade.
606 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Arlan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 90
1910s
90 births
- 1920s
1920s
264 births
- 1930s
1930s
604 births
- 1940s
1940s
606 births
- 1950s
1950s
517 births
- 1960s
1960s
309 births
- 1970s 169
1970s
169 births
- 1980s 122
1980s
122 births
- 1990s 104
1990s
104 births
- 2000s 134
2000s
134 births
- 2010s
2010s
245 births
- 2020s
2020s
270 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 606 births (18% of all-time use).
How Arlan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Arlan's total volume
Arlan by state
Where Arlan concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 230 | 6.7% |
| #2 | Minnesota | | 184 | 5.4% |
| #3 | Iowa | | 110 | 3.2% |
| #4 | Wisconsin | | 105 | 3.1% |
| #5 | California | | 41 | 1.2% |
| #6 | Nebraska | | 38 | 1.1% |
| #7 | North Dakota | | 29 | 0.8% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 28 | 0.8% |
230 of 3,434 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 15 reporting states.
Arlan appears in 15 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Arlan? ▼
Where does Arlan sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Arlan most popular? ▼
Where is Arlan most popular? ▼
How long has the name Arlan been used? ▼
What names are similar to Arlan? ▼
What to do with Arlan's data
- Arlan's usage has stayed within range of its 1940s decade-level peak (606 total births) through the 2020s (270) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Pennsylvania records the most Arlans (230 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Arlan
Nearby Names Like Arlan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Arlan
Compare Arlan side by side: Arlan vs Arlo Arlan vs Arlen Arlan vs Arlie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Arlan
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Arlan: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1936)
Similar record span (~113 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, 1912–2025 (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 Arlan 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.