Total births
2,830
Girls' name · since 1883
Arlena
Since 1883, U.S. Social Security records show 2,830 babies named Arlena, peaking in 1919. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #7980
- among girls today
- 2,830
- born since 1883
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 55%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Arlena is the #7980 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 2,830 recorded since 1883.
Arlena has 2,830 recorded births among girls since 1883, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #7980 as of the latest data, more common than 55% of girls, 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 1883 to 2025.
- #7980 among girls today
- 2,830 born since 1883
- 1920s peak decade
- 55% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Arlena is currently the #7980 girls' name in America, more common than 55% of girls - 2,830 born since 1883, peaking in the 1920s.
- #7980
- among girls today
- 2,830
- born since 1883
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 55%
- more common than other girls
Arlena vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#7980
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 55% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Arlena was born in this single decade.
1919
Single peak year
60 babies were named Arlena in 1919 - its busiest year on record.
How Arlena compares
2,830 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
Arlena's all-time total is 7x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Arlena | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,830 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 60 | 48 | 19,840 |
Arlena's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Arlena's SSA record in two at 1956 and the more recent half accounts for 44% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 56%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1885, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1919 peak of 60, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Arlena at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1919
Current rank
#7,980
Active since
1883
Arlena popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1883–2025
- Peak year (1919)
- 60
- Annual births at peak, across 143 years of records
Arlena by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Arlena's strongest decade.
384 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Arlena births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 26
1880s
26 births
- 1890s 76
1890s
76 births
- 1900s 140
1900s
140 births
- 1910s
1910s
305 births
- 1920s
1920s
384 births
- 1930s
1930s
292 births
- 1940s
1940s
229 births
- 1950s
1950s
211 births
- 1960s
1960s
234 births
- 1970s
1970s
225 births
- 1980s
1980s
202 births
- 1990s
1990s
249 births
- 2000s 113
2000s
113 births
- 2010s 92
2010s
92 births
- 2020s 52
2020s
52 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 384 births (14% of all-time use).
How Arlena 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 Arlena's total volume
Arlena vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Arlena by state
Where Arlena concentrates geographically, total births since 1883
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 70 | 2.5% |
| #2 | Mississippi | | 58 | 2.0% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 41 | 1.4% |
| #4 | Alabama | | 20 | 0.7% |
| #5 | Texas | | 19 | 0.7% |
| #6 | Arkansas | | 17 | 0.6% |
| #7 | Kentucky | | 11 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 11 | 0.4% |
California share of Arlena's total US births 2.5%
Even split
70 of 2,830 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 12 reporting states.
Arlena appears in 12 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Arlena? ▼
Arlena has been given to 2,830 babies in the U.S. since 1883, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #7980 as of the latest data. 60 babies were born in 1919, its single highest year.
When was Arlena most popular? ▼
Arlena was most popular in the 1920s decade with 384 total births. The single peak year was 1919.
Where is Arlena most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Arlena are California (70 births), Mississippi (58 births), Georgia (41 births).
How long has the name Arlena been used? ▼
Records for Arlena go back to 1883, giving 143 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Arlena? ▼
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 Arlena's data
- Arlena's decade-level peak was the 1920s (384 total births); usage has since declined to 52 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Arlenas (70 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 Arlena
Nearby Names Like Arlena
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Arlena
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 Arlena side by side: Arlena vs Arlene Arlena vs Arline Arlena vs Arleen
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Arlena
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, 1883–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Arlena: #7980 Girls' Name - 2,830 Births, Peak 1919." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/arlena. 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 Arlena 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.