Scarlett (given name)

Last updated
Scarlett
Vivien Leigh Gone Wind Restored.jpg
GenderFemale
Origin
Word/name English
MeaningRed
Other names
Nickname(s)Letty, Scar
Related namesScarlet, Scarlette

Scarlett is a feminine given name. The color scarlet symbolizes courage, passion, force, joy and heat. The cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church wear scarlet as a color of the blood of Christ and the Christian martyrs. It gained popularity due to the character Scarlett O'Hara in Margaret Mitchell's best-selling novel Gone with the Wind and the film adaptation. The name has been well used in recent years for girls in the United Kingdom and in the United States. [1]

Contents

The name also has associations with the bright red color scarlet. Scarlett originated as an occupation surname, designating a person who sold scarlet, a luxury wool cloth produced in Medieval Europe. [2] The word is thought to derive from the Arabic siklāt, referring to silks dyed with kermes.

Usage

Usage of the name has increased in the Anglosphere in recent years. It has ranked among the top 20 names given to newborn American girls since 2021 and was the 14th most popular name for girls in that country in 2022. [3] It has also ranked among the top 100 names for newborn girls in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom in recent years. [4]

People named Scarlett

Fictional characters

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. Behind the Name
  2. Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 242. ISBN   0-19-861060-2.
  3. "Names that increased in popularity from 2021 to 2022". ssa.gov. United States Social Security Administration. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  4. "Popularity for the name Scarlett - Behind the Name".