Arabella
Uncertain, used in Scotland since the sixteenth century; possibly from Latin orabilis (“yielding to prayer”) or a variant of Annabel.
Every Arabella since 1881 — 27,957 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Arabella
Arabella is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #213 in 2025 with 1,423 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1881, 27,957 American babies have been named Arabella. Its peak came in 2014, when 1,914 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Arabella stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Arabella year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls 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 | #656 |
| 2007 | 457 | #649 |
| 2006 | 447 | #643 |
| 2005 | 326 | #796 |
| 2004 | 215 | #1,075 |
| 2003 | 166 | #1,259 |
| 2002 | 138 | #1,395 |
| 2001 | 96 | #1,834 |
| 2000 | 91 | #1,871 |
| 1995 | 33 | #3,361 |
| 1990 | 12 | #6,900 |
| 1985 | 10 | #6,489 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1975 | — | — |
| 1970 | 5 | #8,049 |
| 1965 | 7 | #5,311 |
| 1960 | 6 | #5,738 |
| 1955 | 8 | #4,387 |
| 1950 | 6 | #4,760 |
| 1945 | — | — |
| 1940 | 6 | #3,883 |
| 1935 | 10 | #2,741 |
| 1930 | 8 | #3,360 |
| 1925 | 16 | #2,287 |
| 1920 | 22 | #1,820 |
| 1915 | 21 | #1,623 |
| 1910 | 11 | #1,424 |
| 1905 | 9 | #1,306 |
| 1900 | 7 | #1,577 |
| 1895 | 10 | #1,056 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1885 | 11 | #659 |
| 1880 | — | — |
Famous people named Arabella
- Arabella Churchill Politician · 1648–1730
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Arabella mean?
Uncertain, used in Scotland since the sixteenth century; possibly from Latin orabilis (“yielding to prayer”) or a variant of Annabel.
How popular is the name Arabella in 2025?
Arabella ranked #213 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 1,423 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Arabella?
27,957 babies have been named Arabella in the United States since 1881, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Arabella most popular?
Arabella peaked in 2014, when 1,914 newborns received the name.
Is Arabella a boy or girl name?
Arabella is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Arabella rising or falling?
Arabella has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Arabella?
Well-known people named Arabella include Arabella Churchill (politician).