Where does the name Arlene come from?

Arlene is a girl name of English origin.

Is Arlene a boy or a girl name?

Arlene is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 142,771 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.

How popular is the name Arlene in 2023?

Arlene ranks #1806 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1934 with 3,917 babies.

How do you pronounce Arlene?

Arlene is pronounced ar-LEEN (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Arlene?

Arlene is also written as Arleen, Arline.

A name from English · Girl

Arlene

An early-20th-century American name of uncertain origin — possibly a variant of Marlene (German blend of Maria + Magdalene), or a feminine elaboration of the Celtic name Arlen.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 135-year arc in numbers.

142,771 U.S. births recorded from 1888–2023.

Popularity · 1888–2023

112 births in 2023

1888 1955 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

AAn early-20th-century American name of uncertain origin — possibly a variant of Marlene (German blend of Maria + Magdalene), or a feminine elaboration of the Celtic name Arlen.

Variants & spellings

2 ways to spell "Arlene".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Arleen Most common Arline

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Arlene.

A
Arlene Dahl (actress)
A
Arlene Foster (former First Minister of Northern Ireland)

Quick answers

People often ask about Arlene.

What does the name Arlene mean?: Arlene means an early-20th-century American name of uncertain origin — possibly a variant of Marlene (German blend of Maria + Magdalene), or a feminine elaboration of the Celtic name Arlen.
Where does the name Arlene come from?: Arlene is a girl name of English origin.
Is Arlene a boy or a girl name?: Arlene is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 142,771 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.
How popular is the name Arlene in 2023?: Arlene ranks #1806 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1934 with 3,917 babies.
How do you pronounce Arlene?: Arlene is pronounced ar-LEEN (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Arlene?: Arlene is also written as Arleen, Arline.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.