Pledge, oath, or eagle
Arlena is a rare variant of Arlene, which is thought to be an elaboration of the name Arline. It likely stems from the Germanic element 'arn', meaning eagle, or may be related to the Irish name Eibhlín, meaning pledge. It gained some popularity in the early 20th century but remains a distinctive choice today.
Less common today
Arlena isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #3,271 in 1992.
US births per 5-year period, 1990–present (SSA data).
A glamorous and ill-fated character in Agatha Christie's mystery novel · Evil Under the Sun
