Arlene

Did you know?

A few things about Arlene you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Arlene

Arlene Dahl

American actress (1925–2021)

Choose Arlene and your child shares a first name with Arlene Dahl, an American actress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Arlene, like who?” Arlene Dahl's Wikipedia article is available in 32 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Arlene Dahl on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Foladare, Greer and Associates, Hollywood (publicity agency), Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 12,658 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Arlene, 127 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Arlene would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryArlene first shows up in US birth records in 1888, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 137 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1934, when it ranked #53. Today it's #1,631, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🍂TrendArlene has slipped 60 places over the last five years and now sits at #1,631. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedArlene is most popular in Indiana, where it ranks #916, followed by Pennsylvania (#927). It's in the top 1,000 in 2 states.

About the name Arlene

Arlene is a girl name of American, Celtic Gaelic and English origin. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with A and ending in “-ene”. US birth records list Arlene for girls from 1888 to 2025, in 138 of those 138 years. Its best year was 1934, when it ranked #53 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,631, with 127 babies.

Origin:American namesCeltic Gaelic namesEnglish namesIrish names