NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Arla

A feminine name of uncertain meaning, potentially from Old Norse origins.

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.

Arla is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Arla popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #408, with 105 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 140 births.

This profile covers 1,061 England and Wales registrations across 17 recorded years from 2008 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,178 living people in the UK are called Arla. 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

  • Arla ranked #408 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 105 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2021, when 140 girls were registered as Arla.
  • Arla ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #196 in 2024.
  • About 1,178 living people in the UK are estimated to have Arla as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#408

2024

Births in 2024

105

Latest year

Peak year

2021

140 births

Estimated living

1,178

2026

Meaning

What does Arla mean?

The given name Arla has its roots in the Old Norse language, originating from the Viking Age in Scandinavia, approximately between the 8th and 11th centuries AD. It is thought to be derived from the Old Norse word "ǫrly," which translates to "early or early rising." The name may have been bestowed upon individuals born at dawn or during the early hours of the day.

Variations of the name can be found in ancient Norse sagas and manuscripts, such as the Icelandic Sagas, which were written in the 13th and 14th centuries. These texts provide insights into the cultural significance and usage of the name during that era.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name Arla was a Viking woman mentioned in the Gesta Danorum, a 12th-century work by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus. She was described as a skilled warrior and strategist, renowned for her bravery and leadership during the Viking raids in the British Isles.

In the 14th century, an Icelandic woman named Arla Jonsdottir gained recognition for her expertise in traditional Icelandic folk medicine and herbal remedies. She was revered as a healer and is credited with preserving and passing down valuable knowledge about the medicinal properties of plants native to Iceland.

During the Renaissance period, Arla Björnsdotter, born in 1568 in Sweden, was a notable figure in the Swedish literary scene. She was a poet and writer who contributed to the development of Swedish literature and is celebrated for her lyrical works and satirical writings.

In the 19th century, Arla Rydberg, born in 1845 in Sweden, was a prominent educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools for girls and played a pivotal role in promoting education and empowerment for women in Sweden.

Another notable figure was Arla Klinten, born in 1881 in Denmark, who was a pioneering artist and sculptor. She was part of the Danish avant-garde movement and is renowned for her innovative and unconventional sculptural works, which challenged traditional artistic norms of her time.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the name Arla throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence across various cultures and time periods, particularly in Scandinavian regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Arla over time

The chart below shows babies named Arla registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2008 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 Arla, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 105 births in 2024, compared with 140 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Arla
03570105140200820162024

Decades

Arla by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Arla 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 #368 600 5
2010s #1785 452 10
2000s #4230 9 2

Geography

Where Arla is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Arla. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Arla ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #196 in 2024.

Scotland
19

Across the UK

Arla in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#196 in 2024

10 years of NRS records, 122 total registered

Related

Names similar to Arla

FAQ

Arla: questions and answers

How popular is the name Arla in the UK right now?

In 2024, Arla was ranked #408 for girls in England and Wales, with 105 births registered.

When was Arla most popular?

The peak year on record was 2021, with 140 babies registered as Arla in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Arla?

A feminine name of uncertain meaning, potentially from Old Norse origins.

How many people are called Arla in the UK?

A total of 1,061 babies have been registered as Arla across the 17 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 122 more in Scotland.

Where is Arla most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Arla ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #196 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

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.