Scarlet
Scarlet was the 510th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 581 babies. Its best year was 2013, when it ranked 370th; the most babies were born in 2015 (870). Over the last ten years it has moved down 134 places. More babies were named Scarlet in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Scarlett) scarlet (surname for a cloth dealer) · English
- Rank in 2025
- #510 girls, down 63 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 581girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2015870 babies
- Total since 1880
- 17,709babies recorded
What does the name Scarlet mean?
Scarlet is a spelling of Scarlett, pronounced the same way, so it shares Scarlett's meaning and origin.
Scarlett began as an English surname for a dyer or seller of scarlet, a rich medieval cloth. Its modern use as a first name comes from Scarlett O'Hara, heroine of Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind and its film adaptation. Wiktionary dates general given-name use from after 1936.
scarlet (English, “a fine cloth; the bright red color”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: English names, names from occupations.
Scarlet popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #510 | 581 |
| 2020 | #447 | 693 |
| 2010 | #414 | 762 |
| 2000 | #1,756 | 100 |
| 1990 | #2,394 | 52 |
| 1980 | #2,120 | 49 |
| 1970 | #1,697 | 55 |
| 1960 | #1,722 | 44 |
| 1950 | #1,570 | 36 |
| 1940 | #2,092 | 16 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Scarlet, counting every spelling?
Scarlet is a spelling of Scarlett, a name family that ranked #28 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #510 for Scarlet on its own. Together these spellings went to 6,522 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlett | 5,644 | #32 | 31,763 |
| Scarlet | 581 | #510 | 3,292 |
| Scarlette | 197 | #1,180 | 1,218 |
| Skarlett | 61 | #2,811 | 295 |
| Skarlet | 25 | #5,214 | 126 |
| Skarlette | 14 | #7,847 | 82 |
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 Scarlet?
581 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Scarlet (0.16 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Scarlet 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 Scarlet.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Scarlet?
About 17,300 people born in the US named Scarlet are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 7 and 18. That makes Scarlet 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.
Scarlet by state
How common Scarlet was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Nevada (2.4×), Kansas (2.0×), Indiana (1.9×), Iowa (1.8×), Kentucky (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Idaho, New Mexico, Maryland.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Scarlet: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Scarlet, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Scarlet
What does Scarlet mean?
Scarlet is a spelling of Scarlett, which means “scarlet (surname for a cloth dealer)” (English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Scarlet?
Scarlet was the 510th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 581 babies. Its best year was 2013, when it ranked 370th; the most babies were born in 2015 (870). Over the last ten years it has moved down 134 places. More babies were named Scarlet in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Scarlet a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Scarlet in the US.
Where is Scarlet most popular?
In 2021–2025, Scarlet was most common in Nevada (0.99 per 1,000 girls), followed by Kansas and Indiana.