Arlyn
Arlyn was the 3987th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 36 babies. Its best year was 1937, when it ranked 1582nd; the most babies were born in 2007 (59). Over the last ten years it has moved down 450 places. More babies were named Arlyn in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Arlene) 19th-century coinage · American English
- Rank in 2025
- #3,987 girls, down 803 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 36girls
- Girls and boys
- 75% girls, 25% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 200759 babies
- Total since 1880
- 4,525babies recorded
What does the name Arlyn mean?
Arlyn 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)
Arlyn popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,987 | #5,630 | 36 | 16 |
| 2020 | #3,184 | #8,130 | 49 | 9 |
| 2010 | #3,210 | #8,868 | 51 | 8 |
| 2000 | #3,276 | #10,478 | 41 | 5 |
| 1990 | #5,852 | — | 15 | — |
| 1980 | #5,935 | #3,435 | 11 | 12 |
| 1970 | #4,512 | #2,216 | 12 | 17 |
| 1960 | #4,455 | #1,488 | 9 | 29 |
| 1950 | #2,784 | #1,184 | 14 | 37 |
| 1940 | #2,431 | #929 | 12 | 47 |
| 1930 | #1,820 | #1,218 | 20 | 34 |
| 1920 | #3,355 | #1,753 | 9 | 20 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Arlyn, counting every spelling?
Arlyn is a spelling of Arlene, a name family that ranked #1,128 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #3,987 for Arlyn 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 Arlyn?
36 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Arlyn (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Arlyn 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 233 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Arlyn.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Arlyn?
About 1,900 people born in the US named Arlyn are alive today, with a median age of 22; half are between 12 and 37. That makes Arlyn mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Arlyn by state
How common Arlyn was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.2×). In 47 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 Arlyn: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Arlyn, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Arlyn
What does Arlyn mean?
Arlyn is a spelling of Arlene, which means “19th-century coinage” (American English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Arlyn?
Arlyn was the 3987th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 36 babies. Its best year was 1937, when it ranked 1582nd; the most babies were born in 2007 (59). Over the last ten years it has moved down 450 places. More babies were named Arlyn in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Is Arlyn a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 75% girls, 25% boys given the name Arlyn in the US.
Where is Arlyn most popular?
In 2021–2025, Arlyn was most common in California (0.05 per 1,000 girls), followed by Michigan and Texas.