Arsen
Greek at root, carrying the sense of "manly, virile," and in Poland worn almost entirely through Ukrainian families. Most Poles have never met one: it sits well down the register, given only to boys and to a few dozen newborns a year.
Arsen Pronunciation
Arsen is pronounced AHR-sen (/ˈarsɛn/).
What Arsen means
Where Arsen comes from and what it has meant to the people who carry it.
Arsen begins in Greek, where the adjective arsenios meant male and virile. That meaning sits close to the surface, so the name reads as a plain statement rather than a riddle. From the adjective came Arsenios, and Polish keeps the longer form Arseniusz beside the short one.
The name belongs, above all, to Ukraine, where Arsen stayed common among boys and men. It also belongs to a saint, Arsenius the Great, a hermit of the Egyptian desert in the fourth and fifth centuries. Poland receives Arsen largely through its eastern neighbour, so it can sound Greek in its roots and Ukrainian in daily life at once.
Picture a class register where Arsen and Arseniusz sit as two entries for one word. The claim is old. Underneath both spellings the meaning holds: mężny, męski, virile and male.
How many people are named Arsen
1 in 7325 men in Poland is named Arsen. 2,917 people carry it in the 2025 register: rank #598 among male names.
Arsen's popularity over time
27 boys were given the name in 2025, ranking #453 among newborns. It has been climbing since 2018.
Where parents choose Arsen
Arsen is most popular in West Pomeranian, 111% above the national average (13 boys born 2019–2025), followed by Łódź (+73%) and Masovian (+51%). It is least common in Warmian-Masurian and Podlaskie, 62% and 58% below average respectively.
-
West Pomeranian
+111%1 in 6,494 babies
-
Łódź
+73%1 in 7,920 babies
-
Masovian
+51%1 in 9,084 babies
-
Warmian-Masurian
−62%1 in 35,897 babies
-
Podlaskie
−58%1 in 32,893 babies
-
Lesser Poland
−46%1 in 25,213 babies
-
West Pomeranian+111% 13 born1 in 6,494 babies+111%
-
Łódź+73% 16 born1 in 7,920 babies+73%
-
Masovian+51% 39 born1 in 9,084 babies+51%
-
Greater Poland+33% 21 born1 in 10,250 babies+33%
-
Lower Silesian+31% 15 born1 in 10,476 babies+31%
-
Opole+19% 4 born1 in 11,524 babies+19%
-
Lubusz+10% 4 born1 in 12,414 babies+10%
-
Pomeranian−7% 10 born1 in 14,732 babies−7%
-
Kuyavian-Pomeranian−12% 7 born1 in 15,626 babies−12%
-
Silesian−34% 11 born1 in 20,689 babies−34%
-
Subcarpathian−43% 5 born1 in 24,113 babies−43%
-
Lesser Poland−46% 9 born1 in 25,213 babies−46%
-
Podlaskie−58% 2 born1 in 32,893 babies−58%
-
Warmian-Masurian−62% 2 born1 in 35,897 babies−62%
Arsen as a middle name
Arsen is a first name for 2,917 men in Poland and a middle name for another 44, a 99/1 split. In the men's middle-name ranking it sits 1171st, between Arif (44) and Damien (44).
-
#1169 Wilson45
-
#1170 Arif44
-
#1171 Arsen44
-
#1172 Damien44
-
#1173 Detlef44