Total births
7,345
Unisex name · since 1909
Arlen
7,345 babies named Arlen in U.S. Social Security records since 1909, with the highest year being 1934. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1692
- among boys today
- 7,345
- born since 1909
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
7,345 babies have been named Arlen since 1909, making it today's #1692 unisex name.
Arlen has 7,345 recorded births among boys since 1909, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1692 as of the latest data, more common than 88% of boys, 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 1909 to 2025.
- #1692 among boys today
- 7,345 born since 1909
- 1930s peak decade
- 88% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Arlen is currently the #1692 unisex name in America, more common than 88% of boys - 7,345 born since 1909, peaking in the 1930s.
- #1692
- among boys today
- 7,345
- born since 1909
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Arlen vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1692
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 88% of names given to boys today.
1930s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Arlen was born in this single decade.
1934
Single peak year
206 babies were named Arlen in 1934 - its busiest year on record.
How Arlen compares
7,345 Top 10% higher than 90% of 14,294 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
Arlen's all-time total is 20x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Arlen | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 7,345 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 206 | 23 | 22,252 |
Arlen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Arlen's full recorded timeline at 1969, 34% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 66% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1909, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1934 peak of 206 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Arlen at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1934
Current rank
#1,692
Active since
1909
Arlen popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1909–2025
- Peak year (1934)
- 206
- Annual births at peak, across 117 years of records
Arlen popularity over time - girls
809 total births recorded since 1918 (Arlen as girls' name)
Arlen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Arlen's strongest decade.
1,648 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Arlen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s 106
1910s
106 births
- 1920s 389
1920s
389 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,648 births
- 1940s
1940s
957 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,220 births
- 1960s 602
1960s
602 births
- 1970s 347
1970s
347 births
- 1980s 372
1980s
372 births
- 1990s 327
1990s
327 births
- 2000s 318
2000s
318 births
- 2010s 513
2010s
513 births
- 2020s 541
2020s
541 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 1,648 births (22% of all-time use).
How Arlen 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 Arlen's total volume
Arlen vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Arlen by state
Where Arlen concentrates geographically, total births since 1909
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 512 | 7.0% |
| #2 | Minnesota | | 447 | 6.1% |
| #3 | Texas | | 232 | 3.2% |
| #4 | Iowa | | 214 | 2.9% |
| #5 | Wisconsin | | 199 | 2.7% |
| #6 | North Dakota | | 163 | 2.2% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 142 | 1.9% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 132 | 1.8% |
California share of Arlen's total US births 7.0%
Even split
512 of 7,345 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 33 reporting states.
Arlen appears in 33 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Arlen? ▼
Arlen has been given to 7,345 babies in the U.S. since 1909, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1692 as of the latest data. 206 babies were born in 1934, its single highest year.
When was Arlen most popular? ▼
Arlen was most popular in the 1930s decade with 1,648 total births. The single peak year was 1934.
Where is Arlen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Arlen are California (512 births), Minnesota (447 births), Texas (232 births).
Is Arlen a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Arlen is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 7,345 births, and as a girl's name it has 809 births.
How long has the name Arlen been used? ▼
Arlen has been recorded in Social Security data since 1909, spanning 117 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Arlen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Arlo, Arlie, Arlin, Arley, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Arlen's data
- Arlen's decade-level peak was the 1930s (1,648 total births); usage has since declined to 541 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Arlens (512 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Arlen
Nearby Names Like Arlen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Arlen
Arlo Boy
#146 24,245 births
Arlie Boy
#5070 6,712 births
Arlin Boy
#2426 4,072 births
Arley Boy
#2062 3,648 births
Arlan Boy
#2756 3,434 births
Compare Arlen side by side: Arlen vs Arlo Arlen vs Arlie Arlen vs Arlin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Arlen
Giuseppe #1691
6,365 births · Peak 1975
Cosmo #1693
2,949 births · Peak 2022
Woodrow #1690
39,107 births · Peak 1918
Rico #1694
9,926 births · Peak 1991
Karl #1689
100,836 births · Peak 1960
Tyrell #1695
16,070 births · Peak 1992
Arnold #1688
103,846 births · Peak 1924
Kainoa #1696
2,656 births · Peak 2016
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1909–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Arlen: #1692 Unisex Name - 7,345 Births, Peak 1934." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/arlen. 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 Arlen 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 June 2026.