Total births
103,846
Boys' name · since 1880
Arnold
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 103,846 babies named Arnold, peaking in 1924. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1688
- among boys today
- 103,846
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Arnold currently ranks #1688 among boys' names in America, with 103,846 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Arnold has been recorded 103,846 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1688 nationally and more common than 88% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1688 among boys today
- 103,846 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 88% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Arnold is currently the #1688 boys' name in America, more common than 88% of boys - 103,846 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1688
- among boys today
- 103,846
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Arnold vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1688
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 88% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Arnold was born in this single decade.
1924
Single peak year
2,014 babies were named Arnold in 1924 - its busiest year on record.
How Arnold compares
103,846 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Arnold's all-time total is 283x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Arnold | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 103,846 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,014 | 23 | 22,252 |
Arnold's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Arnold splits its recorded history at 1953: 29% of all births land in the more recent half, 71% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1881 (29 births) -- compare that against the 1924 peak of 2,014 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Arnold at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1924
Current rank
#1,688
Active since
1880
Arnold popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1924)
- 2,014
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Arnold popularity over time - girls
550 total births recorded since 1912 (Arnold as girls' name)
Arnold by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Arnold's strongest decade.
19,531 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Arnold births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 404
1880s
404 births
- 1890s 859
1890s
859 births
- 1900s 1,546
1900s
1,546 births
- 1910s
1910s
12,586 births
- 1920s
1920s
19,531 births
- 1930s
1930s
17,888 births
- 1940s
1940s
16,036 births
- 1950s
1950s
13,196 births
- 1960s
1960s
9,501 births
- 1970s 3,688
1970s
3,688 births
- 1980s 2,578
1980s
2,578 births
- 1990s 2,695
1990s
2,695 births
- 2000s 1,696
2000s
1,696 births
- 2010s 1,000
2010s
1,000 births
- 2020s 642
2020s
642 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 19,531 births (19% of all-time use).
How Arnold 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 Arnold's total volume
Arnold vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Arnold by state
Where Arnold concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 12,377 | 11.9% |
| #2 | California | | 6,471 | 6.2% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 4,983 | 4.8% |
| #4 | Texas | | 4,923 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 4,655 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 4,360 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Minnesota | | 4,299 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 3,925 | 3.8% |
New York share of Arnold's total US births 11.9%
Even split
12,377 of 103,846 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Arnold appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Arnold? ▼
103,846 babies have been named Arnold since 1880. It currently ranks #1688 among boys. The peak year was 1924 with 2,014 births.
When was Arnold most popular? ▼
Arnold was most popular in the 1920s decade with 19,531 total births. The single peak year was 1924.
Where is Arnold most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Arnold are New York (12,377 births), California (6,471 births), Illinois (4,983 births).
How long has the name Arnold been used? ▼
Records for Arnold go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Arnold? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Arnulfo, Arnoldo, Arnav, Arne, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Arnold's data
- Arnold's decade-level peak was the 1920s (19,531 total births); usage has since declined to 642 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Arnolds (12,377 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 Arnold
Nearby Names Like Arnold
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Arnold
Arnulfo Boy
#5467 6,316 births
Arnoldo Boy
#3616 4,713 births
Arnav Boy
#3843 3,585 births
Arne Boy
#10989 2,854 births
Arnie Boy
#8335 2,088 births
Compare Arnold side by side: Arnold vs Arnulfo Arnold vs Arnoldo Arnold vs Arnav
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Arnold
Myron #1687
45,369 births · Peak 1930
Karl #1689
100,836 births · Peak 1960
Steve #1686
241,224 births · Peak 1959
Woodrow #1690
39,107 births · Peak 1918
Fred #1685
343,655 births · Peak 1924
Giuseppe #1691
6,365 births · Peak 1975
Riggins #1684
984 births · Peak 2023
Arlen #1692
7,345 births · Peak 1934
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Arnold: #1688 Boys' Name - 103,846 Births, Peak 1924." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/arnold. 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 Arnold 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.