Origin, Meaning, And History Of Scarlett
Rooted in the British kingdom, the name Scarlett refers to the bright-red color scarlet. Its variants include Scarlet or Scarlette. The Latin word “scarlatum,” which means “crimson,” was the source of the Old French word “escarlate,” which finally gave rise to the English word “scarlet.” The name is not just about the color but also what it symbolizes. The color scarlet stands for passion, heat, courage, and force. In many cultures, red is also associated with love and aggression. In the Old Testament of the Bible, scarlet was used as a symbol of sin and redemption. In the Middle ages, Scarlett was originally the last name of people who traded in scarlet, luxury wool made in Europe. The name is believed to be inspired by ‘siklāt,’ Arabic silks dyed red with kermes insects. In the Roman Empire, clothes dyed in scarlet were worn by people in high command. The Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church wore scarlet robes as red symbolized the holy blood of Christ and Christian martyrs. This further exhibited the power and wealth attached to the color red. The name Scarlett was put on the world map in 1936 by Margaret Mitchell’s classic novel, ‘Gone with the Wind’ in which the female lead character was named Scarlett O’Hara. Its movie adaptation in 1939 met with tremendous success and further popularized the name. The subsequent year, Scarlett made it to the top 1000 popular baby names in the US. However, it could not sustain its popularity and disappeared for years before reappearing in the ’90s. Thereafter, the name registered a steady rise every year until it peaked at 18 for two consecutive years, in 2016 and 2017. American actress and Marvel Universe’s very own superhero ‘Black Widow’ Scarlett Johansson, is one the most famous bearers of this name and could be credited for reviving interest in the name. Also, American actor Sylvester Stallone has named his third daughter Scarlet.
How To Pronounce Scarlett?
Scarlett On The Popularity Chart
Interest in the name Scarlett has witnessed surges and downfalls. Currently, the name featured in the top 20 names is quite popular in the US. Have a look at the charts below.
Popularity Over Time
It achieved an all-time high in 2017, before falling steeply in 2020. Here, you can see how this name has performed over time.
Rank Over Time
Prior to seeing a sharp increase in 2011 that propelled the name Scarlett into the top 100 baby names, it had been revolving among the most popular baby names for quite some time. Here is a glimpse of this name’s journey over the last few decades.
Names With Similar Sound As Scarlett
The tongue rolls when saying the name Scarlett. If you like how the names sounds, then you might want to look for similar sounding names.
