How Many People Are Named Ardell?
An estimated 1,516 people in the United States have the first name Ardell. It is used for both genders, with 52.0% female. The average bearer is 66 years old, and Ardell peaked in popularity in 1923 with 151 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Ardell as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Ardell paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Ardell is a genuinely unisex name, given to both boys and girls in roughly equal numbers.
- With an average bearer age of 66, Ardell is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1970.
Estimated Living Americans
1,516
About 1 in 226,091 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
52.0% confidence
Average Age
66
years old
Peak Year
1923
151 births
Total Registered
5,070
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Ardell
Ardell is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (48.0%) and females (52.0%). Out of 5,070 total births registered, 2,435 were male and 2,635 were female.
Ardell as a male name
Ranked #12,380 in 2023
5 male births in 2023
Peak: 1930 (68 births)
Ardell as a female name
Ranked #9,739 in 1977
5 female births in 1977
Peak: 1922 (96 births)
Ardell in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,752 people with the first name Ardell, which placed it at #8,303 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Ardell was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 1,752 people with this name in that snapshot, 52.1% were male and 47.9% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 52.0% of the time.
Census Count
1,752
people with this name
Census Rank
#8,303
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.58
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Ardell was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (61.56%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (32.15%) and Two or More Races (2.11%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Ardell in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Ardell.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 61.56% | 1,078 |
| Black | 32.15% | 563 |
| Two or More Races | 2.11% | 37 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.94% | 34 |
| Hispanic | 1.48% | 26 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.74% | 13 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Ardell: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Ardell span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 1,312 babies were registered. Ardell has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Ardell by Decade
How has Ardell tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Ardell by State
Birth registrations for Ardell span all 21 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota. The lowest are in Virginia, Utah, Louisiana. On average, about 55 Ardells were registered per state.
Ardell + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Ardell as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Ardell
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
Ardell: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ardell?
We estimate approximately 1,516 people named Ardell are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 226,091 Americans share this first name.
Is Ardell a common name?
Ardell is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 92.5% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 5,070 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Ardell most popular?
Ardell reached peak popularity in 1923, when 151 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Ardell is approximately 66 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Ardell in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 1,752 people with the first name Ardell. That placed it at #8,303 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.58 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Ardell was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Ardell?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Ardell was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 52.1% male and 47.9% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Ardell?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Ardell was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (61.56%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (32.15%) and Two or More Races (2.11%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Ardell a female name?
Ardell is predominantly female. 52.0% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Ardell have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Ardell peaked in 1923, and the average living bearer is about 66 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Ardell Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Ardell Smith, Ardell Johnson, Ardell Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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