Given name
Arlene
“an oath; a pledge”
Arlene is used as a given name. One Irish interpretation is “an oath; a pledge.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Irish interpretation is “an oath; a pledge.” Its derivation is not certain.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Irish, although the derivation remains uncertain.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1888. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Arlene through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 143,371
- 361 boys · 143,010 girls
- Most popular year
- 1934
- 3,930 babies
- 2025
- 127
- #1,632 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −13%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 127 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,632 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 12.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 3,917 in 1934. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (20). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 85,381 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Arlene’s family of names
In English usage, Arlene has a related form in Arleen. In English usage, Arlene has a related form in Arleen. Arlene has a related form in Arlen.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 23
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Arlene
- Arlene DahlAmerican actress (1925–2021)
- Arlene FosterBritish politician (born 1970)
- Arlene FrancisAmerican actress and television host (1907–2001)
- Arlene MartelAmerican writer, actress and acting coach (1936–2014)
- Hannah WilkeAmerican artist (1940-1993)
- Arlene Golonkaactress (1936–2021)
- Arlene Boxallfield hockey playerborn 1961
- Arlene HarrisCanadian-born American radio, film, and television actress (1896-1976)
- Arlene SaundersAmerican singer (1930-2020)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Arlene, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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