Arlen

Meaning of Arlen

Arlen, pronounced AR-lin, traces its roots to the Irish-Gaelic airlinn (“pledge” or “oath”), though some scholars link it to Old English phrases for “hare land” and view it as a streamlined cousin of Harlan or Arlene. A fixture on U.S. charts since the 1930s—peaking in the mid-1950s and currently hovering in the 800s—it owes part of its public profile to figures such as the late senator Arlen Specter. Unisex by design, its soft vowels and rolling r travel smoothly across Spanish-speaking cultures, giving the name Latin resonance without losing its Celtic core. For parents seeking an uncommon alternative to Allen or Adrian, Arlen offers a compact, upbeat sound paired with an age-old promise of loyalty.