Arlette
Arlette was the 494th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 600 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,176 places. More babies were named Arlette in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning from Herleva (Germanic 'army') · Germanic, French
Say it ar-LET /ɑrˈlɛt/
- Rank in 2025
- #494 girls, up 556 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 600girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025600 babies
- Total since 1880
- 8,109babies recorded
What does the name Arlette mean?
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)
Arlette popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #494 | 600 |
| 2020 | #1,050 | 238 |
| 2010 | #1,514 | 148 |
| 2000 | #2,090 | 78 |
| 1990 | #4,707 | 20 |
| 1980 | #3,325 | 25 |
| 1970 | #2,269 | 34 |
| 1960 | #1,836 | 38 |
| 1950 | #1,727 | 30 |
| 1940 | #1,407 | 29 |
| 1930 | #1,325 | 33 |
| 1920 | #1,955 | 20 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Arlette, counting every spelling?
Arlette is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #267 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #494 for Arlette 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 Arlette?
600 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Arlette (0.17 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Arlette 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 14 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Arlette.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Arlette?
About 7,300 people born in the US named Arlette are alive today, with a median age of 13; half are between 4 and 25. That makes Arlette mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Arlette by state
How common Arlette was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.5×), Texas (2.5×), Arizona (2.1×), Nevada (2.0×). In 22 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 Arlette: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Arlette, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Arlette · Sibling names for Arlette
Questions about the name Arlette
What does Arlette mean?
Arlette is usually explained as “from Herleva (Germanic 'army')”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Arlette?
Arlette was the 494th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 600 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,176 places. More babies were named Arlette in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Arlette a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Arlette in the US.
Where is Arlette most popular?
In 2021–2025, Arlette was most common in California (0.65 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Arizona.