Fun Facts About the Name Arlo
- More than 25 thousand babies named Arlo: U.S. records list 25,121 babies given the name Arlo from 1880 through 2025. Even 889 girls received the name Arlo - about 1 girl for every 27 boys.
What Does the Name Arlo Mean?
Arlo is a masculine given name used mainly in English-speaking countries. Its etymology is not securely established: it does not descend from a well-documented Old English, Germanic, or biblical name, and no single origin is accepted.
Arlo also appears as a family name, and the given name is often described as surname-derived, though the surname's own origin is likewise obscure. Two explanations are sometimes offered. One connects it to the Old English place-name elements behind names such as Harlow and Arlow, but the resemblance is one of sound rather than a documented derivation, and similar-looking names should not be assumed to share an origin. The other cites a Spanish word arlo said to refer to the barberry shrub, yielding a plant meaning; that is a customary gloss rather than a demonstrated etymology. Both explanations remain unconfirmed, so the established meaning is best given as uncertain.
Arlo Name History & Origins
Arlo has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world, but it was uncommon before the 20th century. One early documented bearer was the American author and MIT English professor Arlo Bates (1850 - 1918).
The name became widely familiar through the American folk singer Arlo Guthrie (born 1947), son of Woody Guthrie, whose long comic song "Alice's Restaurant Massacree" (1967) brought his name to a broad audience. Later figures include the British singer-songwriter Arlo Parks (born 2000). In 2015 the Pixar film The Good Dinosaur gave the name to its young dinosaur lead, a use in fiction that followed the name's earlier appearance in records rather than creating it.
Because the name's earliest forms and any movement between languages are not well documented, its development rests more on scattered individual bearers than on a clear line of transmission.
How Popular is the Name Arlo?
Arlo recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2024. Its best rank was #146 in 2024.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,488 | 71 | 0.0044% |
| 2024 | #2,244 | 83 | 0.0051% |
| 2023 | #1,983 | 99 | 0.0062% |
| 2022 | #2,035 | 95 | 0.0058% |
| 2021 | #1,993 | 97 | 0.0059% |
| 2020 | #2,066 | 89 | 0.0055% |
| 2019 | #2,380 | 75 | 0.0045% |
| 2018 | #2,565 | 68 | 0.0040% |
| 2017 | #3,779 | 40 | 0.0023% |
| 2016 | #2,974 | 56 | 0.0032% |
| 2015 | #4,419 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 2014 | #6,231 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2013 | #8,181 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2012 | #11,377 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #8,678 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2010 | #15,179 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #17,837 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1934 | #4,322 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1932 | #3,589 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1929 | #4,605 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #148 | 2,443 | 0.1430% |
| 2024 | #146 | 2,481 | 0.1446% |
| 2023 | #158 | 2,305 | 0.1349% |
| 2022 | #169 | 2,220 | 0.1273% |
| 2021 | #190 | 1,990 | 0.1138% |
| 2020 | #220 | 1,700 | 0.0985% |
| 2019 | #271 | 1,323 | 0.0738% |
| 2018 | #277 | 1,267 | 0.0698% |
| 2017 | #316 | 1,092 | 0.0590% |
| 2016 | #349 | 977 | 0.0515% |
| 2015 | #501 | 579 | 0.0302% |
| 2014 | #537 | 518 | 0.0270% |
| 2013 | #681 | 354 | 0.0187% |
| 2012 | #811 | 274 | 0.0144% |
| 2011 | #915 | 220 | 0.0116% |
| 2010 | #1,048 | 184 | 0.0096% |
| 2009 | #1,156 | 157 | 0.0079% |
| 2008 | #1,572 | 101 | 0.0050% |
| 2007 | #1,623 | 95 | 0.0046% |
| 2006 | #1,857 | 73 | 0.0036% |
| 2005 | #1,968 | 64 | 0.0032% |
| 2004 | #2,051 | 58 | 0.0029% |
| 2003 | #2,734 | 36 | 0.0018% |
| 2002 | #2,430 | 41 | 0.0021% |
| 2001 | #2,806 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2000 | #2,530 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 1999 | #3,110 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1998 | #2,714 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1997 | #4,073 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1996 | #3,300 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1995 | #3,309 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1994 | #3,602 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1993 | #3,373 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1992 | #4,341 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1991 | #3,112 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1990 | #2,436 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 1989 | #2,475 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1988 | #2,373 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1987 | #2,276 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1986 | #2,012 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 1985 | #2,363 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1984 | #2,617 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1983 | #1,907 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1982 | #2,600 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1981 | #1,949 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1980 | #1,658 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 1979 | #2,579 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1978 | #1,540 | 37 | 0.0023% |
| 1977 | #1,450 | 40 | 0.0024% |
| 1976 | #1,506 | 36 | 0.0023% |
| 1975 | #1,431 | 38 | 0.0024% |
| 1974 | #1,661 | 29 | 0.0018% |
| 1973 | #1,176 | 49 | 0.0031% |
| 1972 | #1,211 | 46 | 0.0028% |
| 1971 | #1,158 | 50 | 0.0028% |
| 1970 | #1,463 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1969 | #2,049 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1968 | #3,385 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #3,003 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1966 | #2,223 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1965 | #2,790 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1964 | #2,315 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1963 | #2,422 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1962 | #1,713 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1961 | #2,148 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1960 | #1,912 | 18 | 0.0008% |
| 1959 | #1,590 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 1958 | #1,485 | 28 | 0.0013% |
| 1957 | #1,436 | 30 | 0.0014% |
| 1956 | #1,724 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1955 | #1,649 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1954 | #1,410 | 29 | 0.0014% |
| 1953 | #1,677 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1952 | #1,268 | 34 | 0.0017% |
| 1951 | #1,196 | 37 | 0.0020% |
| 1950 | #1,221 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 1949 | #1,463 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1948 | #1,081 | 43 | 0.0025% |
| 1947 | #1,255 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 1946 | #1,279 | 30 | 0.0018% |
| 1945 | #1,081 | 36 | 0.0027% |
| 1944 | #991 | 43 | 0.0032% |
| 1943 | #955 | 49 | 0.0034% |
| 1942 | #991 | 45 | 0.0033% |
| 1941 | #751 | 68 | 0.0055% |
| 1940 | #904 | 49 | 0.0042% |
| 1939 | #776 | 61 | 0.0055% |
| 1938 | #730 | 70 | 0.0063% |
| 1937 | #751 | 66 | 0.0062% |
| 1936 | #756 | 64 | 0.0062% |
| 1935 | #702 | 74 | 0.0071% |
| 1934 | #751 | 66 | 0.0064% |
| 1933 | #695 | 74 | 0.0075% |
| 1932 | #703 | 77 | 0.0074% |
| 1931 | #697 | 75 | 0.0072% |
| 1930 | #832 | 61 | 0.0056% |
| 1929 | #676 | 83 | 0.0077% |
| 1928 | #722 | 78 | 0.0070% |
| 1927 | #828 | 65 | 0.0058% |
| 1926 | #831 | 63 | 0.0057% |
| 1925 | #802 | 68 | 0.0061% |
| 1924 | #823 | 67 | 0.0059% |
| 1923 | #698 | 86 | 0.0078% |
| 1922 | #759 | 76 | 0.0070% |
| 1921 | #920 | 58 | 0.0053% |
| 1920 | #718 | 82 | 0.0077% |
| 1919 | #799 | 66 | 0.0067% |
| 1918 | #700 | 81 | 0.0080% |
| 1917 | #750 | 69 | 0.0075% |
| 1916 | #750 | 66 | 0.0074% |
| 1915 | #667 | 76 | 0.0090% |
| 1914 | #789 | 45 | 0.0069% |
| 1913 | #899 | 30 | 0.0059% |
| 1912 | #877 | 26 | 0.0060% |
| 1911 | #1,756 | 5 | 0.0022% |
| 1910 | #865 | 13 | 0.0067% |
| 1909 | #1,085 | 8 | 0.0049% |
| 1908 | #1,224 | 6 | 0.0039% |
| 1907 | #1,100 | 7 | 0.0048% |
| 1905 | #1,243 | 5 | 0.0038% |
| 1900 | #906 | 9 | 0.0060% |
| 1899 | #1,058 | 5 | 0.0047% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Arlo Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Arlo's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Arlo's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.