Total births
1,717
Unisex name · since 1971
Arrow
1,717 babies named Arrow in U.S. Social Security records since 1971, with the highest year being 2018. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1679
- among boys today
- 1,717
- born since 1971
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Arrow is the #1679 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 1,717 recorded since 1971.
Arrow has 1,717 recorded births among boys since 1971, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1679 as of the latest data, more common than 88% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1971 to 2025.
- #1679 among boys today
- 1,717 born since 1971
- 2010s peak decade
- 88% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Arrow is currently the #1679 unisex name in America, more common than 88% of boys - 1,717 born since 1971, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1679
- among boys today
- 1,717
- born since 1971
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Arrow vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1679
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 88% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
51% of everyone ever named Arrow was born in this single decade.
2018
Single peak year
172 babies were named Arrow in 2018 - its busiest year on record.
How Arrow compares
1,717 Top 23% higher than 77% 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
Arrow's all-time total is 5x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Arrow | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,717 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 172 | 23 | 22,252 |
Arrow's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Arrow splits its recorded history at 2007: 93% of all births land in the more recent half, 7% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1971 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2018 peak of 172 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Arrow at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2018
Current rank
#1,679
Active since
1971
Arrow popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1971–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 172
- Annual births at peak, across 55 years of records
Arrow popularity over time - girls
858 total births recorded since 2007 (Arrow as girls' name)
Arrow by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Arrow's strongest decade.
868 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 51% of all-time use.
Arrow births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 17
1970s
17 births
- 1980s 11
1980s
11 births
- 1990s 42
1990s
42 births
- 2000s 79
2000s
79 births
- 2010s
2010s
868 births
- 2020s
2020s
700 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 868 births (51% of all-time use).
How Arrow 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 Arrow's total volume
Arrow vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Arrow by state
Where Arrow concentrates geographically, total births since 1971
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 210 | 12.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 103 | 6.0% |
| #3 | Florida | | 74 | 4.3% |
| #4 | Arizona | | 37 | 2.2% |
| #5 | Washington | | 37 | 2.2% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 32 | 1.9% |
| #7 | Indiana | | 31 | 1.8% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 29 | 1.7% |
California share of Arrow's total US births 12.2%
Even split
210 of 1,717 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 24 reporting states.
Arrow appears in 24 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Arrow? ▼
Arrow has been given to 1,717 babies in the U.S. since 1971, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1679 as of the latest data. 172 babies were born in 2018, its single highest year.
When was Arrow most popular? ▼
Arrow was most popular in the 2010s decade with 868 total births. The single peak year was 2018.
Where is Arrow most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Arrow are California (210 births), Texas (103 births), Florida (74 births).
Is Arrow a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Arrow is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 1,717 births, and as a girl's name it has 858 births.
How long has the name Arrow been used? ▼
Arrow has been recorded in Social Security data since 1971, spanning 55 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Arrow? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Arron, Arrington, Arrie, Arren, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Arrow's data
- Arrow's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (868 total births) through the 2020s (700) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Arrows (210 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 Arrow
Nearby Names Like Arrow
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Arrow
Arron Boy
#6848 8,076 births
Arrington Boy
510 births
Arrie Boy
318 births
Arren Boy
306 births
Arrion Boy
291 births
Compare Arrow side by side: Arrow vs Arron Arrow vs Arrington Arrow vs Arrie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Arrow
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, 1971–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Arrow: #1679 Unisex Name - 1,717 Births, Peak 2018." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/arrow. 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 Arrow 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.