girl's name
Scarlet
SKAR-lit (English)
- Origin English, French
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 23,842
the United States
#509
2025 births
Scarlet is a girl's name from the bright red color, a spelling of Scarlett. The word came through Old French escarlate, a fine and costly cloth, and it gave a medieval surname for dyers and cloth merchants before it became a first name.
- Scarlet is a name of English, French origin.
- Peaked in 2015, when 870 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 5,706 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1939.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Scarlet Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1930s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1930s | 6 |
| 1940s | 216 |
| 1950s | 348 |
| 1960s | 609 |
| 1970s | 536 |
| 1980s | 493 |
| 1990s | 704 |
| 2000s | 2,616 |
| 2010s | 8,196 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,985 |
What Scarlet Means
Scarlet means a vivid red. In the Middle Ages the word first named an expensive cloth, and the color association came later, giving the modern name a passionate, bold tone.
Where Scarlet Comes From
Old French escarlate named a rich woolen cloth, and it may go back through Medieval Latin scarlatum to a Persian word for a fine fabric. The cloth was often dyed bright red, and the word moved onto the color. English took it in the thirteenth century, and it gave a surname for those who traded or dyed such cloth. Will Scarlet, one of Robin Hood's men, shows its medieval use as a name. Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel Gone with the Wind made Scarlett a first name, with Katie Scarlett O'Hara taking her grandmother's surname. Scarlet is the single-t spelling of this name.
Scarlet in Use
Scarlett Johansson has helped keep the two-t form in fashion. The single-t spelling matches the word, and it's the shorter choice for parents who like the color name.
How Popular Is Scarlet?
In 2025, Scarlet was given to 581 babies in the United States, ranking #509 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Scarlet Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Scarlet
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Scarlet Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Scarlet over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Scarlet
- English SKAR-lit
Scarlet 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.
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Scarlett
Sibling Names for Scarlet
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Scarlet — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Scarlet
What does the name Scarlet mean?
A vivid red, from an Old French word for fine cloth.
What is the difference between Scarlet and Scarlett?
They're spellings of one name. Scarlet matches the English word.
Is Scarlet a girl's name?
Yes. It's used mainly for girls.
How popular is the name Scarlet?
In 2025, Scarlet was given to 581 babies in the United States, ranking #509 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Scarlet?
Scarlet has 2 syllables.
When was Scarlet most popular?
Scarlet peaked in 2015, when 870 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Scarlet a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Scarlet currently ranks #509 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.