Total births
17,709
Girls' name · since 1939
Scarlet
Since 1939, U.S. Social Security records show 17,709 babies named Scarlet, peaking in 2015. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #490
- among girls today
- 17,709
- born since 1939
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Scarlet is the #490 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 17,709 recorded since 1939.
Social Security Administration records show Scarlet recorded 17,709 times among girls since 1939, holding rank #490 nationally today, ahead of 97% of girls, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1939 to 2025.
- #490 among girls today
- 17,709 born since 1939
- 2010s peak decade
- 97% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Scarlet is currently the #490 girls' name in America, more common than 97% of girls - 17,709 born since 1939, peaking in the 2010s.
- #490
- among girls today
- 17,709
- born since 1939
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Scarlet vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#490
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 97% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
46% of everyone ever named Scarlet was born in this single decade.
2015
Single peak year
870 babies were named Scarlet in 2015 - its busiest year on record.
How Scarlet compares
17,709 Top 6% higher than 94% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Scarlet's all-time total is 46x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Scarlet | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 17,709 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 870 | 48 | 19,840 |
Scarlet's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Scarlet splits its recorded history at 1982: 90% of all births land in the more recent half, 10% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1939 (6 births) -- compare that against the 2015 peak of 870 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Scarlet at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2015
Current rank
#490
Active since
1939
Scarlet popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1939–2025
- Peak year (2015)
- 870
- Annual births at peak, across 87 years of records
Scarlet by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Scarlet's strongest decade.
8,196 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 46% of all-time use.
Scarlet births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 6
1930s
6 births
- 1940s 216
1940s
216 births
- 1950s 348
1950s
348 births
- 1960s 609
1960s
609 births
- 1970s 536
1970s
536 births
- 1980s 493
1980s
493 births
- 1990s 704
1990s
704 births
- 2000s 2,616
2000s
2,616 births
- 2010s
2010s
8,196 births
- 2020s
2020s
3,985 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 8,196 births (46% of all-time use).
How Scarlet compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Scarlet's total volume
Scarlet vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Scarlet by state
Where Scarlet concentrates geographically, total births since 1939
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,412 | 13.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,557 | 8.8% |
| #3 | New York | | 967 | 5.5% |
| #4 | Florida | | 675 | 3.8% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 622 | 3.5% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 545 | 3.1% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 493 | 2.8% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 429 | 2.4% |
California share of Scarlet's total US births 13.6%
Even split
2,412 of 17,709 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Scarlet appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Scarlet? ▼
17,709 babies have been named Scarlet since 1939. It currently ranks #490 among girls. The peak year was 2015 with 870 births.
When was Scarlet most popular? ▼
Scarlet was most popular in the 2010s decade with 8,196 total births. The single peak year was 2015.
Where is Scarlet most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Scarlet are California (2,412 births), Texas (1,557 births), New York (967 births).
How long has the name Scarlet been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Scarlet since 1939 -- 87 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Scarlet? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Scarlett, Scarlette, Scarleth, Scarlettrose, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Scarlet's data
- Scarlet's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (8,196 total births) through the 2020s (3,985) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Scarlets (2,412 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Scarlet
Nearby Names Like Scarlet
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Scarlet
Scarlett Girl
#27 111,687 births
Scarlette Girl
#1129 5,806 births
Scarleth Girl
#3003 761 births
Scarlettrose Girl
#10129 147 births
Scarlytt Girl
45 births
Compare Scarlet side by side: Scarlet vs Scarlett Scarlet vs Scarlette Scarlet vs Scarleth
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Scarlet
Kora #489
9,541 births · Peak 2022
Mariam #491
18,555 births · Peak 2024
Maddison #488
24,063 births · Peak 2009
Meredith #492
77,787 births · Peak 1980
Leona #487
113,330 births · Peak 1918
Cali #493
23,342 births · Peak 2014
Cameron #486
32,235 births · Peak 1999
Mckenzie #494
64,779 births · Peak 2000
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1939–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Scarlet: #490 Girls' Name - 17,709 Births, Peak 2015." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/scarlet. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Scarlet draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.