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Arlene as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Arlene

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The baby name Arlene is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced AR-LEEN (IPA: /ɑrˈliːn/).

Arlene is English, Irish in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: English, Irish
Pronunciation: AR-LEEN (IPA: /ɑrˈliːn/)

What is the meaning of the name Arlene ?

The baby name Arlene is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced AR-LEEN (IPA: /ɑrˈliːn/).

Arlene is English, Irish in Origin.

Arlene is an English feminine given name that emerged in the late 19th to early 20th century, probably as a variant of Arline/Arleen. Arline was popularized by the heroine of Michael William Balfe’s 1843 opera The Bohemian Girl, and the -lene/-line ending fit the fashion later seen in Charlene and Darlene. The name’s specific meaning is not fixed; many view it as a modern coinage, while others link it to Eileen/Aileen (Irish Eibhlín, from Norman French Aveline), yielding interpretive senses such as “wished-for” or “desired.”

Arlene rose sharply in the United States during the 1920s–1950s, aided by mid‑century figures like actress Arlene Dahl and television personality Arlene Francis, before fading in later decades. Spelling variants include Arleen, Arline, and Arlyne; related forms are Charlene, Darlene, and Marlene. Nicknames range from Arly and Arlie to Lena. Today Arlene reads as a vintage choice with a gentle, lilting cadence.

Arlene has the following similar or variant Names

Arlene – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2023 #1 — 897
PH Girls 0 #27 832 13,098
BN 0 #31 2 2,297
BI Girls 0 #33 1 726
ID 0 #39 1 2,238
PH 0 #45 52 5,607
PR 0 #48 8 1,497
MO 0 #50 3 2,706
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
JM 0 #73 15 3,714
JP 0 #75 3 4,057
QA 0 #79 22 7,011
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
PR Girls 0 #92 73 3,171
BN Girls 0 #93 14 5,459
JM Girls 0 #93 223 7,507
ID Girls 0 #99 4 3,319
KW 0 #107 10 5,216
OM 0 #113 9 6,215
KW Girls 0 #120 552 19,177
CY Girls 0 #122 4 3,755
QA Girls 0 #124 209 15,378
AZ Boys 0 #131 1 1,400
PA 0 #133 6 3,797
GR 0 #135 1 3,911
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
MT Girls 0 #146 8 3,773
CR 0 #148 11 5,526
AE 0 #150 28 10,220
BW Girls 0 #151 1 4,216
PR Boys 0 #178 1 2,508
HR 0 #181 1 2,081
MO Girls 0 #185 67 7,056
LU Girls 0 #190 1 4,850
AE Girls 0 #201 408 20,968
AO Girls 0 #213 5 4,575
NA Girls 0 #215 10 7,146
PS 0 #225 2 5,692
JP Girls 0 #234 12 6,592
BD 0 #240 2 5,992
GR Girls 0 #244 6 6,293
SG 0 #247 23 11,010
OM Girls 0 #254 143 15,987
EC Girls 0 #258 1 3,650
TW Girls 0 #262 15 8,139
SA 0 #265 31 10,560
NG 0 #272 1 5,926
IL 0 #279 4 6,291
Canada Girls 2024 #281 5 2,795
JM Boys 0 #291 3 6,876
SA Girls 0 #292 919 25,931
JO Girls 0 #313 13 7,570
CN Girls 0 #319 31 8,829
MY 0 #319 12 12,352
PE 0 #325 5 6,350
BR 0 #326 20 5,969
DK Girls 0 #326 4 7,429
SG Girls 0 #332 271 18,916
HK 0 #333 16 8,483
GH Girls 0 #337 1 6,973
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
MU Girls 0 #355 8 8,539
Finland Girls 0 #370 22 1,368
PH Boys 0 #373 11 11,440
PA Girls 0 #379 104 9,861
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
ZA 0 #386 62 14,421
JO Boys 0 #389 1 7,057
MX 0 #401 13 8,339
HK Girls 0 #402 224 16,104
France Girls 2006 #403 4 3,155
BD Girls 0 #405 2 8,413
BO 0 #407 2 6,868
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
BH 0 #421 133 17,937
CR Girls 0 #429 104 11,342
PT Girls 0 #429 23 7,952
CL 0 #430 5 6,867
PS Girls 0 #466 58 10,981
SD Boys 0 #466 1 10,523
GT Girls 0 #495 11 7,500
UY Girls 0 #498 13 6,731
CO 0 #506 5 7,768
BR Girls 0 #507 571 12,708
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
RU Girls 0 #516 8 11,913
CM Girls 0 #525 16 11,671
IQ Girls 0 #525 1 11,303
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
HK Boys 0 #555 3 12,905
LY 0 #557 3 12,703
IL Girls 0 #559 59 11,648
CM Boys 0 #575 1 12,054
BO Girls 0 #596 16 9,488
ZA Girls 0 #624 659 25,928
AR Girls 0 #629 2 8,289
LB 0 #641 18 13,263
IN Girls 0 #652 3 13,121
IT 0 #691 24 4,183
Finland Girls 2026 #703 36 3,895
SG Boys 0 #737 3 17,960
QA Boys 0 #740 4 18,093
SY 0 #766 2 11,684
NG Girls 0 #775 12 15,093
BR Boys 0 #781 5 12,213
CL Girls 0 #795 57 14,098
KW Boys 0 #801 6 18,755
United States Girls 2024 #806 111 8,487
Germany Girls 0 #807 32 4,949
PE Girls 0 #872 72 14,861
MY Girls 0 #877 118 24,821
NL Girls 0 #900 56 5,933
OM Boys 0 #913 6 17,948
Spain Girls 0 #923 61 5,561
EG Boys 0 #925 1 15,035
MX Girls 0 #931 256 17,781
EG Girls 0 #943 17 14,742
CO Boys 0 #979 3 15,656
CO Girls 0 #1,032 47 16,140
MX Boys 0 #1,033 1 16,355
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
AE Boys 0 #1,083 10 22,615
IT Girls 0 #1,130 320 9,415
MY Boys 0 #1,182 1 25,439
TR 0 #1,195 17 19,440
MA 0 #1,198 2 20,986
ZA Boys 0 #1,268 5 25,619
SA Boys 0 #1,579 36 28,008

Arlene is popular in 71 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Ireland
Canada
Scotland, United Kingdom
United States

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People also ask about Arlene

Arlene is predominantly a girl's name.
Arlene is a 2 syllable name, pronounced AR-LEEN (IPA: /ɑrˈliːn/).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Arleen, Arline, Arlène, Arlina, Arlin and Carleen.
Across languages, Arlene has these equivalents: Órla / Orla (Irish), Arlène (French), Charlene (English).
Yes, very popular — Arlene ranked #1 in Ireland in 2023, and appears in official birth registries across 6 countries.
Arlene ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2023).
Arlene's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2023 to #1 in 2023 in Ireland.