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Name Lineage

    The first name Ara

    A unisex name from Armenian.

    2 syllables Unisex

    Meaning and origin

    Armenian origin

    Borrowed from Armenian Արա (Ara).

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 10 girls were named Ara, making it the 2,605th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2019, with 11 births (#2,286).

    01020 1996200020052010201520202025
    GirlsBoys
    196
    babies named Ara, 1996–2025
    #2,605
    rank in 2025
    2019
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Ara with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Ara at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 48 girls born in the United States were named Ara, the 3,255th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2022, when 78 were.

    04080 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    GirlsBoys
    4,866
    babies named Ara since 1880
    #3,255
    rank in 2025
    2022
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Ara

    11 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Ara Malikian
      Armenian musician, born 1968
    • Ara Ayvazyan
      Armenian diplomat (born 1969)
    • Ara Parseghian
      American football player and coach (1923-2017)
    • Ara Papian
      Armenian diplomat, born 1961
    • Ara Hakobyan
      Armenian association football player, born 1980
    • Ara Khachatryan
      Armenian weightlifter, born 1982
    • Ara Dinkjian
      Armenian-American musician, born 1958
    • Ara Gevorgyan
      Armenian musician, composer and musical producer, born 1960
    • Ara Darzi
      British surgeon, born 1960
    • Ara Abramyan
      Businessman, born 1957
    • Ara Babloyan
      Armenian politician, born 1947

    Questions

    What does the name Ara mean?
    Borrowed from Armenian Արա (Ara).
    What is the origin of the name Ara?
    Borrowed from Armenian Արա (Ara).
    How popular is the name Ara?
    In 2025, 10 girls born in England and Wales were named Ara, ranking 2,605th. Its peak was 2019, with 11 births.
    Is Ara a boy's or a girl's name?
    Both. Of the 4,866 US babies named Ara since 1880, 73% were girls and 27% boys.
    When was Ara most popular?
    2022 in the United States, when 78 babies were named Ara, its highest rank at 2,365th.