Arlene is of uncertain origin; it appeared in the English-speaking world in the 19th century and is usually explained as a coinage with the fashionable -lene ending, in the manner of Marlene and Charlene, or as a form of Carlene, "free woman". It was most popular in the United States in the 1930s. In this century Arlene has stayed just outside the top 1000, from number 798 in 2000 down to number 1796 in 2024 and number 1632 in 2025, with 127 girls.