Arla
Girl name · #4995 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 26 baby girls were named Arla, placing it at #4995 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #10866, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 69,231 girls born in 2025 was named Arla.
The 137-year story
Arla first appears in the Social Security records in 1888, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1934, when 64 girls were named Arla — good for #855 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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 Arla per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Arla against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Arla in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Arla is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Arla will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Arla is most common
State-level data for Arla is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Arla
Statistically, parents drawn to Arla tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Nira, Alta, Vita, Eudora, and Lula.
NiraAltaVitaEudoraLulaOraLovellaRosella
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Arla | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | #4987 |
| 2024 | 25 | #5148 |
| 2023 | 20 | #5960 |
| 2022 | 21 | #5793 |
| 2021 | 27 | #4833 |
| 2020 | 26 | #4880 |
| 2019 | 15 | #7342 |
| 2018 | 21 | #5785 |
| 2017 | 15 | #7442 |
| 2016 | 7 | #12876 |
| 2015 | 9 | #10866 |
| 2014 | 6 | #14558 |
| 2013 | 5 | #16547 |
| 2012 | 6 | #14962 |
| 2011 | 6 | #14824 |
| 2008 | 5 | #17504 |
| 2005 | 5 | #16462 |
| 1991 | 10 | #7987 |
| 1989 | 5 | #12362 |
| 1988 | 5 | #11798 |
| 1987 | 5 | #11325 |
| 1986 | 5 | #10912 |
| 1985 | 9 | #6955 |
| 1983 | 13 | #5148 |
| 1982 | 8 | #7469 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Arla a popular girl name?
Arla ranked #4995 among girls in 2025 with 26 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #10866.
When was the name Arla most popular?
Arla peaked in 1934, when 64 American girls received the name (ranked #855 that year). Since 1934 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Arla?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 69,231 newborn American girls was named Arla. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
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.