Scarlett

Meaning of Scarlett

Scarlett is an English feminine name taken from the English surname Scarlett, which comes from the Old French escarlate, meaning scarlet, the rich red cloth or color. The surname probably identified a maker or seller of scarlet cloth. Name dictionaries agree on this origin, and the name is generally understood to mean scarlet. It was rare as a first name before Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel Gone with the Wind and its heroine, Scarlett O'Hara, brought it wide attention.

British English pronounces the name SKAH-lit (/ˈskɑː.lɪt/); American English pronounces it SKAR-lit (/ˈskɑr.lɪt/).

Its best-known literary association remains Scarlett O'Hara. The most widely known living bearer is American actress and singer Scarlett Johansson, the highest-grossing lead actor in film history and a BAFTA and Tony winner.

Scarlett has become a familiar American name. In 2025 it ranked 32nd, with 5,644 girls given the name. It peaked at 14th in 2022, when 7,258 girls received it, and has eased since. Its rise was steep: it stood at 528th in 2004, entered the top 100 in 2011, and reached 42nd by 2013, before entering the top 20 in 2016.

Pronunciation

British English

• Pronunced as skah-lit (/ˈskɑː.lɪt/)

American English

• Pronunced as skar-lit (/ˈskɑr.lɪt/)

• Rose
• Sienna
• Violet
• Ruby
• Hazel
• Crimson
• Ember