Unisex name · since 1914

Arnell

1,282 babies named Arnell in U.S. Social Security records since 1914, with the highest year being 1961. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

#4,387 of 45,481
all-time among boys
1,282
born since 1914
1960s
peak decade

Arnell sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 1,282 recorded since 1914.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Arnell has been recorded 1,282 times among boys since 1914, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 2022.

  • #4,387 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 1,282 born since 1914
  • 1960s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Arnell ranks #4,387 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,282 born since 1914, peaking in the 1960s.

#4,387 of 45,481
all-time among boys
1,282
born since 1914
1960s
peak decade
Above the archive median
All-time archive position

Arnell's 1,282 recorded births place it above 90.34% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

2 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by Illinois.

Arnell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Arnell splits its recorded history at 1970: 53% of all births land in the more recent half, 47% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1914 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1961 peak of 28 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Arnell popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2022

Last recorded 2022
Peak year (1961)
28
Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
0102030 191419321946195919721985199820122022 7

Arnell popularity over time - girls

798 total births recorded since 1910 (Arnell as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 798 births
0510152025 191019231932194119501959196919951998 6

Arnell by decade

1960s is the heaviest window (184 births, 14% of the file).

1960s was Arnell's strongest decade.

184 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.

Arnell births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1960s at 184 births (14% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

How Arnell 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 Arnell's total volume

Arnell vs 15 similarly-sized boys names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%10%20%30%40%50% 050100150200 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -95, 5.7%-109, 3.3%-134, 2.3%-47, 5.1%-98, 3.4%-56, 4.4%-67, 3%-39, 10.4%-129, 4.1%-21, 20.3%-24, 43.3%-53, 7.2%-49, 4.4%-67, 4%-145, 6.1%Arnell-109, 2.2%Arnell
Arnell vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Arnell by state

Where Arnell concentrates geographically, total births since 1914

Geographically diffuse
Top 2 states by recorded births for the name Arnell
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 Illinois
28 2.2%
#2 Missouri
5 0.4%
Illinois share of Arnell's total US births 2.2%
Even split

28 of 1,282 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Arnell? ▼
1,282 babies have been named Arnell since 1914. All-time, it sits at #4,387 of 45,481 boys' names by recorded births. It was last recorded in 2022. The peak year was 1961 with 28 births.
Where does Arnell sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Arnell ranks #4,387 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Arnell most popular? ▼
Arnell was most popular in the 1960s decade with 184 total births. The single peak year was 1961.
Where is Arnell most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Arnell are Illinois (28 births), Missouri (5 births).
Is Arnell a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Arnell is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 1,282 births, and as a girl's name it has 798 births.
How long has the name Arnell been used? ▼
Records for Arnell go back to 1914, giving 109 years of history through 2022.
What names are similar to Arnell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Arnold, Arnulfo, Arnoldo, Arnav, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Arnell's data

  • Arnell's decade-level peak was the 1960s (184 total births); usage has since declined to 13 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • Illinois records the most Arnells (28 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Arnell

Nearby Names Like Arnell

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Arnell

Arnold Boy
#1477 103,846 births
Arnulfo Boy
#3763 6,316 births
Arnoldo Boy
#4063 4,713 births
Arnav Boy
#2915 3,585 births
Arne Boy
#9754 2,854 births

Compare Arnell side by side: Arnell vs Arnold Arnell vs Arnulfo Arnell vs Arnoldo

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Hale #6463
1,282 births · Peak 1917
Marciano #3189
1,282 births · Peak 2013
Pryce #2686
1,282 births · Peak 2020
Treston #7344
1,282 births · Peak 2009
Geremy #12309
1,283 births · Peak 1989
Barrington #7262
1,281 births · Peak 1991
Corrie #12057
1,284 births · Peak 1977
Diana
1,284 births · Peak 1989

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Arnell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1914–2022 (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 Arnell 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.