Total births
143,010
Girls' name · since 1888
Arlene
Arlene has 143,010 recorded births since 1888 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1934 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1799
- among girls today
- 143,010
- born since 1888
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other girls
Arlene currently ranks #1799 among girls' names in America, with 143,010 babies recorded since 1888.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Arlene has been recorded 143,010 times among girls since 1888, currently ranked #1799 nationally and more common than 90% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1930s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1888 to 2025.
- #1799 among girls today
- 143,010 born since 1888
- 1930s peak decade
- 90% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Arlene is currently the #1799 girls' name in America, more common than 90% of girls - 143,010 born since 1888, peaking in the 1930s.
- #1799
- among girls today
- 143,010
- born since 1888
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other girls
Arlene vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1799
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 90% of names given to girls today.
1930s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Arlene was born in this single decade.
1934
Single peak year
3,917 babies were named Arlene in 1934 - its busiest year on record.
How Arlene compares
143,010 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Arlene's all-time total is 374x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Arlene | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 143,010 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 3,917 | 48 | 19,840 |
Arlene's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Arlene splits its recorded history at 1957: 23% of all births land in the more recent half, 77% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1889 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1934 peak of 3,917 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Arlene at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1934
Current rank
#1,799
Active since
1888
Arlene popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1888–2025
- Peak year (1934)
- 3,917
- Annual births at peak, across 138 years of records
Arlene popularity over time - boys
361 total births recorded since 1916 (Arlene as boys' name)
Arlene by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Arlene's strongest decade.
34,796 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Arlene births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 14
1880s
14 births
- 1890s 226
1890s
226 births
- 1900s 846
1900s
846 births
- 1910s 7,781
1910s
7,781 births
- 1920s
1920s
21,961 births
- 1930s
1930s
34,796 births
- 1940s
1940s
29,093 births
- 1950s
1950s
20,652 births
- 1960s 11,234
1960s
11,234 births
- 1970s 4,654
1970s
4,654 births
- 1980s 3,670
1980s
3,670 births
- 1990s 3,190
1990s
3,190 births
- 2000s 2,615
2000s
2,615 births
- 2010s 1,559
2010s
1,559 births
- 2020s 719
2020s
719 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 34,796 births (24% of all-time use).
How Arlene 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 Arlene's total volume
Arlene vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Arlene by state
Where Arlene concentrates geographically, total births since 1888
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 21,729 | 15.2% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 13,781 | 9.6% |
| #3 | California | | 12,506 | 8.7% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 9,881 | 6.9% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 7,195 | 5.0% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 6,745 | 4.7% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 5,698 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 5,625 | 3.9% |
New York share of Arlene's total US births 15.2%
Even split
21,729 of 143,010 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Arlene appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Arlene? ▼
Since 1888, Social Security records show 143,010 babies named Arlene. Today it holds rank #1799 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1934, with 3,917 births.
When was Arlene most popular? ▼
Arlene was most popular in the 1930s decade with 34,796 total births. The single peak year was 1934.
Where is Arlene most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Arlene are New York (21,729 births), Pennsylvania (13,781 births), California (12,506 births).
How long has the name Arlene been used? ▼
Records for Arlene go back to 1888, giving 138 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Arlene? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Arline, Arleen, Arlette, Arleth, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Arlene's data
- Arlene's decade-level peak was the 1930s (34,796 total births); usage has since declined to 719 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Arlenes (21,729 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Arlene
Nearby Names Like Arlene
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Arlene
Arline Girl
17,590 births
Arleen Girl
#4782 12,611 births
Arlette Girl
#583 8,109 births
Arleth Girl
#428 6,840 births
Arlet Girl
#716 3,346 births
Compare Arlene side by side: Arlene vs Arline Arlene vs Arleen Arlene vs Arlette
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Arlene
Milly #1798
3,347 births · Peak 2014
Josephina #1800
3,494 births · Peak 2023
Liza #1797
17,641 births · Peak 1973
Aviva #1801
3,685 births · Peak 2025
Wilhelmina #1796
13,094 births · Peak 1916
Stormy #1802
7,709 births · Peak 1992
Keylani #1795
814 births · Peak 2025
Shayla #1803
30,933 births · Peak 1999
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, 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. "Arlene: #1799 Girls' Name - 143,010 Births, Peak 1934." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/arlene. 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 Arlene 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.