girl's name
Arlette
ar-LET
- Origin French
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (France)
- Births on record 86,736
the United States
#494
2025 births
Arlette is nearly extinct in France — five births last year — while rising sharply in America, where births went from 238 in 2020 to 600 in 2025. That is a French name being revived by a country it did not come from.
- Arlette is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1947, when 3,300 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 117,911 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Arlette over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 575 |
| 1910s | 1,710 |
| 1920s | 8,495 |
| 1930s | 24,945 |
| 1940s | 25,110 |
| 1950s | 14,315 |
| 1960s | 2,825 |
| 1970s | 430 |
| 1980s | 95 |
| 1990s | 30 |
| 2000s | 10 |
| 2010s | 5 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 25 |
What Arlette means
Arlette has no securely known meaning. It is a Norman diminutive whose root is not established, with noble and a Germanic element meaning eagle both proposed and neither settled.
Where Arlette comes from
Arlette is a Norman French diminutive whose base is genuinely uncertain — proposals include the Germanic adal, noble, and arn, an eagle, and none has been established. Its historical weight comes from Arlette of Falaise, a tanner's daughter who was William the Conqueror's mother and never married his father, which is why he was known as William the Bastard before 1066 rather than after. The name is unrelated to Charlotte or to Arline despite the resemblance.
Arlette in use
Arlette peaked in France in 1947, when 3,300 babies were registered, and the interesting movement is entirely recent and American. United States births ran 238 in 2020, then 259, 352, 383, 517 and 600 in 2025 — up roughly two and a half times in five years, taking it to 494th there. France meanwhile is down to 5 births and 6215th, and England and Wales to 4. A French name close to extinct at home and climbing steadily in America reverses the pattern Josette and Pascale show, and it is happening now rather than historically.
How popular is Arlette?
In 2025, Arlette was given to 5 babies in France. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Arlette is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Arlette
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Arlette also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Arlette over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Arlette in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Polish
- Arletta
Sibling names for Arlette
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Arlette — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Arlette
What does the name Arlette mean?
Not known. It is a Norman diminutive whose root has never been established.
Is Arlette rising?
In America, sharply — 238 births in 2020 to 600 in 2025. In France it is down to five.
Who was Arlette of Falaise?
A tanner's daughter, mother of William the Conqueror, and never married to his father.
How popular is Arlette?
494th in the United States, against 6215th in France.
Is Arlette a girl's or a boy's name?
Arlette is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Arlette?
Arlette has 2 syllables.
Is Arlette a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Arlette currently ranks #494 in France. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.