Arlen
17% girls · 83% boys
About Arlen
Arlen is a surname long used as a first name: It ranked on the US Top 1000 from the late 1920s until the late 1960s. Originally, Arlen was a variation of Harlan which came from Harland, a place-name which means "hare land" – a place with lots of rabbits.
Arlen for boys#1587 US
Today, the name is on the rise again in the US and was given to more than 100 boys in a recent year, with 20 girls also receiving the name. Across the pond in the UK meanwhile, Arlen has been in the Top 1000 for boys since 2019. With the fashion for two-syllable n-ending boys' names and the popularity of Arlo, Arlen may continue to rise in coming years.
Arlen for girls#5576 US
Arlen might be thought of as an update on the midcentury Arlene or as a unisex surname-name. Arlen was given to 22 girls in the US last year vs 57 boys and those numbers may grow with the fashion for n-ending two-syllable surname-names. Another similar possibility for girls: Arden.
Pronounced AR-len.
As of October 2026, Arlen ranked #1587 for boys and #5576 for girls in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #380 for boys in 1934 and #2459 for girls in 1937, Nameberry popularity #751 for boys.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · boys | Births · boys | US rank · girls | Births · girls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #2,406 | 53 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #2,255 | 59 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #2,232 | 60 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #2,092 | 66 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #2,388 | 55 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #2,131 | 67 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #2,114 | 66 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #1,790 | 88 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #1,937 | 80 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #1,681 | 101 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #1,680 | 99 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #1,587 | 107 | — | 0 |
World rankings
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Arlen on lists
Famous Arlens
- Arlen Alexander EscarpetaBoy
Belizean actor
- Arlen Jackson Grant (b. 2015)Boy
son of swimmer Dana Vollmer
- Arlen SpecterBoy
United States Senator.
Arlen in pop culture
- ArlenBoth
Texas, a fictional town in the United States, where the animated series King of the Hill is set
- ArlenGirl
main character in the film The Bad Batch