Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1933

Arliss

Gender Unisex · 52% girls Rank 2025 Below top lists

Arliss is a unisex given name and nickname which may refer to:

Rank 2025
–
among girls
Babies in 2025
23
named Arliss · +10% vs 2024
How common
–
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1933
68 babies
All-time total
1,529
#8,707 all-time among girls
First recorded
1917
in Social Security records

Arliss popularity over time

1,529 babies have been named Arliss since 1917, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.030.040.0518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s 7 13 20 2 – #3,847
1920s 219 90 309 31 +1445% #1,480
1930s 308 187 495 50 +60% #1,052
1940s 146 80 226 23 -54% #1,951
1950s 94 71 165 17 -27% #2,783
1960s 22 21 43 4 -74% #5,846
1970s – 16 16 2 -63% –
1980s – 27 27 3 +69% –
1990s 5 15 20 2 -26% #13,627
2000s – 34 34 3 +70% –
2010s – 56 56 6 +65% –
2020s (to 2025) – 118 118 20 +251% –

The story of Arliss

Arliss is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1917, 1,529 American babies have been named Arliss, about 52% girls and 48% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1933, when 68 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1930s.

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 Arliss stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Arliss?

The median living Arliss is about 69 years old; half are between 14 and 82. An estimated 700 people named Arliss are alive in the United States today.

median 69 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Arliss year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 23 #4,410
2024 – – 21 #4,717
2023 – – 26 #4,120
2022 – – 16 #5,652
2021 – – 15 #5,791
2020 – – 17 #5,250
2019 – – 11 #7,213
2018 – – 10 #7,660
2017 – – 13 #6,355
2016 – – 9 #8,201
2015 – – 7 #9,652
2014 – – – –
2013 – – – –
2012 – – – –
2011 – – 6 #10,909
2010 – – – –
2009 – – – –
2008 – – 9 #8,369
2007 – – – –
2006 – – 5 #12,186
2005 – – 6 #10,226
2004 – – – –
2003 – – – –
2002 – – 6 #9,469
2001 – – – –
2000 – – 8 #7,483
1995 – – – –
1990 – – – –
1985 – – – –
1980 – – 5 #6,313
1975 – – 6 #4,834
1970 – – – –
1965 6 #5,846 – –
1960 5 #6,432 9 #2,880
1955 9 #4,084 – –
1950 14 #2,783 8 #2,782
1945 10 #2,924 15 #1,777
1940 17 #1,965 7 #2,891
1935 32 #1,270 20 #1,544
1930 27 #1,504 25 #1,463
1925 27 #1,611 7 #3,431
1920 24 #1,710 – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Arliss

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Arliss Howard American actor, screenwriter, and film director (born 1954) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Arliss, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Arliss?

The median living Arliss is about 69 years old. Half of all living Arlisss are between 14 and 82 years old.

How many people named Arliss are alive today?

An estimated 700 people named Arliss are alive in the United States, based on 1,529 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Arliss mean?

Arliss is a unisex given name and nickname which may refer to:

How popular is the name Arliss in 2025?

Arliss did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Arliss?

1,529 babies have been named Arliss in the United States since 1917, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Arliss most popular?

Arliss peaked in 1933, when 68 newborns received the name.

Is Arliss a boy or girl name?

Arliss is used for both: about 52% of babies named Arliss have been girls and 48% boys.

Is the name Arliss rising or falling?

Arliss has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Arliss?

Well-known people named Arliss include Arliss Howard (actor).

Names like Arliss

Names that sound and feel close to Arliss: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Arliss with similar names → More names starting with A →