Arleen
Arleen was the 6145th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 19 babies. Its best year was 1939, when it ranked 303rd with 415 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 3,179 places. More babies were named Arleen in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Arlene) 19th-century coinage · American English
- Rank in 2025
- #6,145 girls, down 2,456 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 19girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1939415 babies
- Total since 1880
- 12,617babies recorded
What does the name Arleen mean?
Arleen is a spelling of Arlene, pronounced the same way, so it shares Arlene's meaning and origin.
Arlene is a 19th-century coinage, which Wiktionary says was probably based on similar-sounding names such as Charlene and Arlette. It has no inherited meaning. It was very popular in the US in the 1920s and 1930s, along with Darlene and Marlene; actress Arlene Dahl is a well-known bearer.
How sure is this? Probable. A coined name; any meaning is borrowed from similar names.
Related names: Arline, Arleen, Charlene, Marlene.
See also: American names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Arlene', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Arleen popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 6 since 1942.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,145 | 19 |
| 2020 | #3,689 | 40 |
| 2010 | #2,941 | 58 |
| 2000 | #3,339 | 40 |
| 1990 | #3,162 | 35 |
| 1980 | #3,071 | 28 |
| 1970 | #1,620 | 58 |
| 1960 | #636 | 253 |
| 1950 | #557 | 222 |
| 1940 | #417 | 268 |
| 1930 | #566 | 144 |
| 1920 | #617 | 134 |
| 1910 | #1,212 | 14 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Arleen, counting every spelling?
Arleen is a spelling of Arlene, a name family that ranked #1,128 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #6,145 for Arleen on its own. Together these spellings went to 196 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlene | 127 | #1,632 | 585 |
| Arlyn | 36 | #3,987 | 198 |
| Arleen | 19 | #6,145 | 168 |
| Arlynn | 14 | #7,520 | 86 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Arleen?
19 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Arleen (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Arleen born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 439 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Arleen.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Arleen?
About 7,400 people born in the US named Arleen are alive today, with a median age of 66; half are between 43 and 76. That makes Arleen a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Arleen by state
How common Arleen was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.9×), Texas (2.5×). In 48 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Arleen: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Arleen, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Arleen
What does Arleen mean?
Arleen is a spelling of Arlene, which means “19th-century coinage” (American English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Arleen?
Arleen was the 6145th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 19 babies. Its best year was 1939, when it ranked 303rd with 415 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 3,179 places. More babies were named Arleen in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Arleen a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Arleen in the US.
Where is Arleen most popular?
In 2021–2025, Arleen was most common in California (0.06 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and New York.