Arlet

Meaning of Arlet

Arlet, a concise variant of the medieval French Arlette—the Norman rendering of the Germanic Herleva—draws etymological weight from the elements hari “army” and leub “love” or “heritage,” thereby encoding both strength and continuity within its brief phonetic frame. Contemporary usage bifurcates along linguistic lines: English speakers typically pronounce it ar-LIT, while Spanish speakers favor ahr-LET, a phonological versatility that has eased the name’s migration across cultural boundaries. Historically, its most notable bearer is Arlette of Falaise, mother of William the Conqueror, an association that quietly evokes social mobility and political influence. In the United States, Social Security data trace a measured but consistent rise—from isolated appearances in the late 1920s to a recent high of rank 515 in 2023—growth propelled in part by Hispanic families seeking a modern, lighter alternative to Arlette. Accordingly, Arlet now occupies a niche where medieval provenance, bilingual accessibility, and contemporary minimalism converge.

Pronunciation

Spanish

• Pronunced as ahr-LET (/arˈlet/)

English

• Pronunced as ar-LIT (/ɑrˈlɪt/)

• Arlette
• Arlene
• Arlena
• Arleigh
• Arletta
• Arleth
• Arleta