ScarlettGirl Name — Meaning & Origin

Scarlett is a girl's name of English origin, rooted in the Old French word 'escarlate,' which described a fine, brilliantly dyed wool cloth — often red, though the dye color varied. The name began as an occupational surname for cloth merchants or dyers in medieval England. For centuries it stayed quietly in the background as a given name, known mainly through surnames. That changed dramatically in 1936 when Margaret Mitchell published 'Gone with the Wind,' and the headstrong, red-cheeked Scarlett O'Hara became one of fiction's most iconic heroines. The name took on a life of its own from that moment — spirited, passionate, and impossible to ignore.

Scarlett O'Hara in 'Gone with the Wind' is probably the single biggest reason this name resonates across generations — her defiance and resilience made the name feel alive rather than decorative. In recent decades, actress Scarlett Johansson brought it firmly into modern celebrity culture, lending it a sleek, confident edge. The color scarlet itself has deep symbolic weight: it appears in the Bible, in Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter,' and in countless works of art as a symbol of courage, desire, and sin. In heraldry, scarlet signals military strength. The name also carries a quiet British charm — it's beloved in the UK, Australia, and across the English-speaking world as a name that feels both classic and a little daring.

Fiercely self-assured, emotionally expressive, and quietly magnetic — Scarletts tend to lead without trying to.

Scarlett has become one of the standout girl's names of recent decades. In the US, it peaked at #14, making it a genuine top-tier choice rather than a trendy flash-in-the-pan. In Ontario it reached #16, and across Canada it peaked at #24. It sits comfortably in the upper echelons of baby name charts across the English-speaking world, popular enough to feel familiar but distinctive enough to feel special.