UK boy's name
Arby
A diminutive form of the Greek name Arbogast.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Arby is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Arby popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5119, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2013, with 3 births.
This profile covers 6 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2013 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 6 living people in the UK are called Arby. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Arby ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2013, when 3 boys were registered as Arby.
- • About 6 living people in the UK are estimated to have Arby as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5119
2024
Births in 2024
3
Latest year
Peak year
2013
3 births
Estimated living
6
2026
Meaning
What does Arby mean?
The name Arby is believed to have originated from the ancient Mesopotamian civilization, specifically from the region of modern-day Iraq and Syria. It is thought to be derived from the Akkadian language, which was spoken in Mesopotamia around the third millennium BCE.
One possible etymology is that Arby may have roots in the Akkadian word "arbu," which means "desert" or "wasteland." This could suggest that the name was initially associated with those who lived in or traversed the harsh desert regions of ancient Mesopotamia.
Another theory suggests that Arby may have connections to the Akkadian god Arbela, who was a minor deity associated with the city of Arbela (modern-day Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan). In this context, the name could have been used to honor this deity or those born in the city.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Arby can be traced back to cuneiform inscriptions from the Neo-Assyrian period (934-609 BCE). These inscriptions mention an individual named "Arbu-bani," which translates to "Arbu is my creator" or "Arbu has created me."
Throughout history, there have been several noteworthy individuals who bore the name Arby. One of the earliest was Arby the Younger, a Christian martyr who lived in the 4th century CE and was executed during the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Diocletian.
Another prominent figure was Arby of Toul, a Frankish nobleman who lived in the 7th century CE and served as the Duke of Toul (a region in modern-day northeastern France). He played a significant role in the conversion of the Franks to Christianity.
In the 12th century, there was Arby of Corbeil, a French scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Paris and wrote several influential works on theology and philosophy.
During the Renaissance period, Arby Tiziano was an Italian painter and architect who lived from 1476 to 1576. He is notable for his contributions to the Mannerist style of art and his work on the Palazzo Thiene in Vicenza, Italy.
Lastly, in the 19th century, Arby Disraeli was a British politician and writer who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1868 to 1868 and again from 1874 to 1880. He was a prominent figure in the Conservative Party and played a significant role in the expansion of the British Empire.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Arby over time
The chart below shows babies named Arby registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2013 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Arby, the clearest high point is 2013. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 3 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arby by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Arby was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #5119 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4685 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Arby
- Alfie 86,546
- Alexander 85,525
- Adam 71,855
- Archie 59,965
- Arthur 43,586
- Aaron 36,366
- Alex 32,729
- Andrew 20,169
- Arlo 19,061
- Aidan 16,776
- Albie 16,017
- Albert 15,809
FAQ
Arby: questions and answers
How popular is the name Arby in the UK right now?
In 2024, Arby was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Arby most popular?
The peak year on record was 2013, with 3 babies registered as Arby in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Arby?
A diminutive form of the Greek name Arbogast.
How many people are called Arby in the UK?
A total of 6 babies have been registered as Arby across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.