Scarlett: Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, & Inspiration

Girl name origins & meanings

Middle English : Deep red

What does Scarlett mean and stand for?

Scarlett was originally used as an English surname and given to people who sold cloth of scarlet. It directly means "scarlet" or "red".

Syllables: 2

Girl name variations

Family name origins & meanings

English (mainly East Anglia) : metonymic occupational name for a dyer or for a seller of rich, bright fabrics, from Old French escarlate ‘scarlet cloth’ (Late Latin scarlata).

Famous people who gave their babies this name

Jack White

Popularity

According to Social Security Administration data, Scarlett has been quickly topping the top baby name charts since 2000, when it barely made the top 1000 at the 942 ranking. From 2000 to 2010, it moved up to position 115, and peaked in popularity at position 18 in 2016 and 2017.

However, it is the 38th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Scarlett was at its peak popularity in May 2015.

Scarlett was originally popularly used as an English surname, but it recently has become more popular as a girl’s name. It started gaining in popularity with the movie adaptation of Gone With the Wind, but actress Scarlett Johansson is largely to thank for its modern day popularity. It has also been seen in popular TV shows like Skins and Nashville. It is also a top choice for celebrity baby names; Jack White, Sylvester Stallone, and Rob Schneider have all chosen the name for their daughters.