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Girl · English (American coinage)
Arlene
Say it: ar-LEEN
Meaning
An American coinage of the late 19th century, apparently formed on the pattern of names like Marlene and Darlene; no reliable earlier meaning.
Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.
Most popular in the US in the 1920s to 1940s.
Its wave through time
A fashion of the 1930s
In the United States
- 142,777 babies given this name since 1888
- At its height in 1934, about 1 in 267 girls
- 133 babies in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
The family of the name
Other spellings: Arleen, Arline, Arlena
Famous bearers
- Arlene Francis, American television personality
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- Modern use, as a recently created name
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.