Arabella
Girl name · #213 in 2025 · Distinctive
Arabella is currently the #213 girl name in the United States — 1,423 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #194, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,265 girls born in 2025 was named Arabella.
The 144-year story
Arabella first appears in the Social Security records in 1881, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2014, when 1,914 girls were named Arabella — good for #174 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Arabella per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Arabella against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Arabella in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Arabella is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Arabella is most common
Geography matters for names, and Arabella is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Arabella is most common in WV (3.5 per 1,000), NV (2.6 per 1,000), NM (2.6 per 1,000), KY (1.9 per 1,000), AR (1.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Arabella is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Arabella
Arabella carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Arabella family went to about 3,600 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #64, versus #213 for Arabella alone.
Names like Arabella
Statistically, parents drawn to Arabella tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Ariella, Briella, Camilla, Antonella, and Bella.
AriellaBriellaCamillaAntonellaBellaWillaAdelaideIzabella
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Arabella | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,423 | #213 |
| 2024 | 1,482 | #206 |
| 2023 | 1,322 | #225 |
| 2022 | 1,314 | #231 |
| 2021 | 1,521 | #195 |
| 2020 | 1,439 | #202 |
| 2019 | 1,545 | #194 |
| 2018 | 1,706 | #172 |
| 2017 | 1,890 | #156 |
| 2016 | 1,748 | #187 |
| 2015 | 1,689 | #194 |
| 2014 | 1,914 | #174 |
| 2013 | 1,533 | #209 |
| 2012 | 1,315 | #244 |
| 2011 | 946 | #333 |
| 2010 | 834 | #383 |
| 2009 | 705 | #448 |
| 2008 | 467 | #655 |
| 2007 | 457 | #648 |
| 2006 | 447 | #643 |
| 2005 | 326 | #796 |
| 2004 | 215 | #1075 |
| 2003 | 166 | #1257 |
| 2002 | 138 | #1394 |
| 2001 | 96 | #1833 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Arabella a popular girl name?
Arabella ranked #213 among girls in 2025 with 1,423 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #194.
When was the name Arabella most popular?
Arabella peaked in 2014, when 1,914 American girls received the name (ranked #174 that year). Since 2014 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Arabella?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,265 newborn American girls was named Arabella. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.