Arlet
Arlet was the 642nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 450 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 603rd with 493 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 3,210 places. More babies were named Arlet in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Arlette) from Herleva (Germanic 'army') · Germanic, French
- Rank in 2025
- #642 girls, up 1,102 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 450girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2023493 babies
- Total since 1880
- 3,351babies recorded
What does the name Arlet mean?
Arlet is a spelling of Arlette, pronounced the same way, so it shares Arlette's meaning and origin.
Arlette is a French girls' name. Wiktionary derives it from a form, possibly a diminutive, of Old French Herleva, a Germanic compound name beginning with harjaz, army. Its most famous bearer was the mother of William the Conqueror, who is recorded as both Herleva and Arlette. The second part of Herleva is not explained in our sources. Arlette has been used in the US since the 1910s.
*harjaz (Proto-Germanic, “army”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Wiktionary only; the full meaning of Herleva is not given.
Related names: Arlet, Arleta, Charlotte.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean warrior.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Arlette' (French section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Arlet popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 5 since 1922.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #642 | 450 |
| 2020 | #1,744 | 115 |
| 2010 | #4,751 | 30 |
| 2000 | #5,333 | 21 |
| 1990 | #8,548 | 9 |
| 1980 | #10,501 | 5 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Arlet, counting every spelling?
Arlet is a spelling of Arlette, a name family that ranked #267 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #642 for Arlet on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,272 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlette | 600 | #494 | 2,111 |
| Arlet | 450 | #642 | 1,917 |
| Arlett | 222 | #1,085 | 618 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Arlet?
450 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Arlet (0.12 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Arlet born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 19 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Arlet.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Arlet?
About 3,300 people born in the US named Arlet are alive today, with a median age of 4; half are between 2 and 10. That makes Arlet a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Arlet by state
How common Arlet was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (2.2×), Maryland (1.8×), New York (1.8×), Texas (1.7×), California (1.6×). In 20 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Arlet: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Arlet, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Arlet
What does Arlet mean?
Arlet is a spelling of Arlette, usually explained as “from Herleva (Germanic 'army')”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Arlet?
Arlet was the 642nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 450 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 603rd with 493 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 3,210 places. More babies were named Arlet in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Arlet a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Arlet in the US.
Where is Arlet most popular?
In 2021–2025, Arlet was most common in New Jersey (0.52 per 1,000 girls), followed by Maryland and New York.