At a glance
- In short
- Arlo is a boy's name of uncertain origin borne by American folk singer Arlo Guthrie.
- U.S. rank 2025
- #148 of boy names
- Babies in 2025
- 2,443 (0.13% of boys)
- Trend
- Rising #220 in 2020 to #148 in 2025
- Peak
- #146 in 2024
- Top state
- #39 in Wyoming
- First recorded
- 1899
Meaning of Arlo
Arlo is a name of uncertain origin. It is sometimes traced to the English surname Harlow or to arlo, a Spanish word for the barberry shrub, but neither link is confirmed. It is pronounced AHR-loh, with the stress on the first syllable.
The best-known Arlo is the American folk singer Arlo Guthrie, son of Woody Guthrie and known for the song Alice's Restaurant. The English singer-songwriter Arlo Parks won the Mercury Prize in 2021, and Arlo is also the young dinosaur hero of Pixar's film The Good Dinosaur (2015).
In the U.S., Arlo has climbed quickly: as recently as 2010 it ranked 1,047th, and in 2024 it reached its highest position, 146th. In 2025 it stood at 148th, with 2,443 babies given the name.
How to pronounce Arlo
English
- Pronounced AHR-loh /ˈɑrloʊ/
Popularity of Arlo in the U.S.
Arlo was the #148 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 2,443 babies. It peaked at #146 in 2024 and has been in the top 1,000 since 2011. It first appears in the records in 1899.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1899–2025 122 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,443 | 148 | ▼ 2 |
| 2024 | 2,490 | 146 | ▲ 12 |
| 2023 | 2,307 | 158 | ▲ 11 |
| 2022 | 2,220 | 169 | ▲ 21 |
| 2021 | 1,990 | 190 | ▲ 30 |
| 2020 | 1,701 | 220 | ▲ 51 |
| 2019 | 1,323 | 271 | ▲ 6 |
| 2018 | 1,268 | 277 | ▲ 39 |
| 2017 | 1,092 | 316 | ▲ 33 |
| 2016 | 977 | 349 | ▲ 152 |
| 2015 | 579 | 501 | ▲ 36 |
| 2014 | 518 | 537 | ▲ 144 |
| 2013 | 354 | 681 | ▲ 130 |
| 2012 | 274 | 811 | ▲ 104 |
| 2011 | 220 | 915 | ▲ 132 |
| 2010 | 184 | 1,047 | ▲ 109 |
| 2009 | 157 | 1,156 | ▲ 415 |
| 2008 | 101 | 1,571 | ▲ 50 |
| 2007 | 95 | 1,621 | ▲ 235 |
| 2006 | 73 | 1,856 | ▲ 111 |
| 2005 | 64 | 1,967 | ▲ 84 |
| 2004 | 58 | 2,051 | ▲ 678 |
| 2003 | 36 | 2,729 | ▼ 301 |
| 2002 | 41 | 2,428 | ▲ 369 |
| 2001 | 33 | 2,797 | ▼ 272 |
| 2000 | 37 | 2,525 | ▲ 578 |
| 1999 | 26 | 3,103 | ▼ 392 |
| 1998 | 30 | 2,711 | ▲ 1,348 |
| 1997 | 16 | 4,059 | ▼ 766 |
| 1996 | 21 | 3,293 | ▲ 10 |
| 1995 | 20 | 3,303 | ▲ 293 |
| 1994 | 18 | 3,596 | ▼ 228 |
| 1993 | 19 | 3,368 | ▲ 959 |
| 1992 | 13 | 4,327 | ▼ 1,222 |
| 1991 | 20 | 3,105 | ▼ 673 |
| 1990 | 28 | 2,432 | ▲ 37 |
| 1989 | 26 | 2,469 | ▼ 102 |
| 1988 | 25 | 2,367 | ▼ 95 |
| 1987 | 25 | 2,272 | ▼ 265 |
| 1986 | 29 | 2,007 | ▲ 350 |
| 1985 | 22 | 2,357 | ▲ 256 |
| 1984 | 18 | 2,613 | ▼ 708 |
| 1983 | 28 | 1,905 | ▲ 691 |
| 1982 | 18 | 2,596 | ▼ 654 |
| 1981 | 28 | 1,942 | ▼ 287 |
| 1980 | 35 | 1,655 | ▲ 913 |
| 1979 | 18 | 2,568 | ▼ 1,031 |
| 1978 | 37 | 1,537 | ▼ 87 |
| 1977 | 40 | 1,450 | ▲ 52 |
| 1976 | 36 | 1,502 | ▼ 73 |
| 1975 | 38 | 1,429 | ▲ 230 |
| 1974 | 29 | 1,659 | ▼ 483 |
| 1973 | 49 | 1,176 | ▲ 34 |
| 1972 | 46 | 1,210 | ▼ 53 |
| 1971 | 50 | 1,157 | ▲ 305 |
| 1970 | 33 | 1,462 | ▲ 584 |
| 1969 | 17 | 2,046 | ▲ 1,319 |
| 1968 | 7 | 3,365 | ▼ 380 |
| 1967 | 8 | 2,985 | ▼ 769 |
| 1966 | 13 | 2,216 | ▲ 564 |
| 1965 | 9 | 2,780 | ▼ 470 |
| 1964 | 13 | 2,310 | ▲ 104 |
| 1963 | 12 | 2,414 | ▼ 701 |
| 1962 | 22 | 1,713 | ▲ 435 |
| 1961 | 15 | 2,148 | ▼ 238 |
| 1960 | 18 | 1,910 | ▼ 322 |
| 1959 | 25 | 1,588 | ▼ 105 |
| 1958 | 28 | 1,483 | ▼ 47 |
| 1957 | 30 | 1,436 | ▲ 286 |
| 1956 | 21 | 1,722 | ▼ 76 |
| 1955 | 22 | 1,646 | ▼ 238 |
| 1954 | 29 | 1,408 | ▲ 269 |
| 1953 | 21 | 1,677 | ▼ 409 |
| 1952 | 34 | 1,268 | ▼ 73 |
| 1951 | 37 | 1,195 | ▲ 25 |
| 1950 | 35 | 1,220 | ▲ 242 |
| 1949 | 25 | 1,462 | ▼ 383 |
| 1948 | 43 | 1,079 | ▲ 173 |
| 1947 | 34 | 1,252 | ▲ 26 |
| 1946 | 30 | 1,278 | ▼ 200 |
| 1945 | 36 | 1,078 | ▼ 87 |
| 1944 | 43 | 991 | ▼ 35 |
| 1943 | 49 | 956 | ▲ 35 |
| 1942 | 45 | 991 | ▼ 240 |
| 1941 | 68 | 751 | ▲ 153 |
| 1940 | 49 | 904 | ▼ 128 |
| 1939 | 61 | 776 | ▼ 46 |
| 1938 | 70 | 730 | ▲ 21 |
| 1937 | 66 | 751 | ▲ 5 |
| 1936 | 64 | 756 | ▼ 54 |
| 1935 | 74 | 702 | ▲ 49 |
| 1934 | 66 | 751 | ▼ 57 |
| 1933 | 74 | 694 | ▲ 9 |
| 1932 | 77 | 703 | ▼ 6 |
| 1931 | 75 | 697 | ▲ 135 |
| 1930 | 61 | 832 | ▼ 157 |
| 1929 | 83 | 675 | ▲ 47 |
| 1928 | 78 | 722 | ▲ 103 |
| 1927 | 65 | 825 | ▲ 6 |
| 1926 | 63 | 831 | ▼ 30 |
| 1925 | 68 | 801 | ▲ 22 |
| 1924 | 67 | 823 | ▼ 125 |
| 1923 | 86 | 698 | ▲ 61 |
| 1922 | 76 | 759 | ▲ 161 |
| 1921 | 58 | 920 | ▼ 202 |
| 1920 | 82 | 718 | ▲ 81 |
| 1919 | 66 | 799 | ▼ 99 |
| 1918 | 81 | 700 | ▲ 49 |
| 1917 | 69 | 749 | ▲ 1 |
| 1916 | 66 | 750 | ▼ 83 |
| 1915 | 76 | 667 | ▲ 121 |
| 1914 | 45 | 788 | ▲ 109 |
| 1913 | 30 | 897 | ▼ 21 |
| 1912 | 26 | 876 | ▲ 864 |
| 1911 | 5 | 1,740 | ▼ 881 |
| 1910 | 13 | 859 | ▲ 224 |
| 1909 | 8 | 1,083 | ▲ 134 |
| 1908 | 6 | 1,217 | ▼ 123 |
| 1907 | 7 | 1,094 | back (not recorded in 1906) |
| 1905 | 5 | 1,233 | back (not recorded in 1901–1904) |
| 1900 | 9 | 902 | ▲ 149 |
| 1899 | 5 | 1,051 | new |
Arlo by state
Arlo ranks #39 in Wyoming (2025).
Rank by state 49 states
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 39 | 10 |
| Vermont | 48 | 9 |
| Colorado | 65 | 89 |
| Minnesota | 65 | 86 |
| North Dakota | 65 | 16 |
| Iowa | 69 | 46 |
| Nebraska | 69 | 33 |
| Oregon | 71 | 50 |
| Wisconsin | 72 | 75 |
| Maine | 74 | 16 |
| Idaho | 80 | 28 |
| Alaska | 85 | 9 |
| Montana | 91 | 13 |
| Washington | 94 | 81 |
| Rhode Island | 97 | 11 |
| New Mexico | 106 | 18 |
| New Hampshire | 106 | 14 |
| Utah | 109 | 48 |
| Michigan | 114 | 86 |
| Arizona | 123 | 70 |
| Missouri | 126 | 56 |
| Pennsylvania | 134 | 95 |
| West Virginia | 140 | 14 |
| Indiana | 141 | 57 |
| Ohio | 142 | 96 |
| Kansas | 142 | 26 |
| Maryland | 145 | 41 |
| South Dakota | 145 | 9 |
| Hawaii | 146 | 7 |
| Connecticut | 147 | 25 |
| Tennessee | 149 | 64 |
| California | 150 | 258 |
| Arkansas | 159 | 23 |
| Nevada | 160 | 19 |
| Oklahoma | 162 | 30 |
| Massachusetts | 166 | 40 |
| Virginia | 167 | 54 |
| Illinois | 168 | 70 |
| New York | 198 | 99 |
| Texas | 200 | 195 |
| North Carolina | 204 | 61 |
| Kentucky | 213 | 26 |
| Louisiana | 221 | 23 |
| Alabama | 223 | 25 |
| South Carolina | 224 | 25 |
| Florida | 225 | 95 |
| Georgia | 240 | 51 |
| New Jersey | 279 | 32 |
| Mississippi | 312 | 10 |
Notable people named Arlo
- Arlo Guthrie is an American folk singer and storyteller known for protest songs, the Thanksgiving anthem Alices Restaurant, a hit with City of New Orleans, and deep ties to Massachusetts.
- Arlo Parks is an English singer and songwriter whose 2021 debut Collapsed in Sunbeams drew acclaim, hit number three in the UK, earned Brit Award nominations, and won the Mercury Prize.
- Arlo McKinley is an American country singer songwriter with three albums, most recently This Mess We're In, released on John Prine's Oh Boy Records in July 2022.
- Arlo E. Schmidt served as a North Dakota Democratic NPL state representative for the 7th district from 1995 to 2010.