Arlett has been given to just 1,186 American girls — making it one of the rarest names in this batch — yet it carries the melodic DNA of one of the most beloved feminine names in the French literary and theatrical tradition, condensed into a form that feels both vintage and startlingly fresh.
Old French Elegance: The Roots of Arlett
Arlett is a variant spelling of Arlette, a French diminutive derived from the Old French element arl-, itself from the Germanic Erla or Arla, possibly connected to the Old High German arl meaning "free man" or drawing on the root seen in names like Carl and Charles (karl, free man). Arlette has been a French feminine name since the medieval period, most famously borne by Arlette of Falaise — the tanner's daughter who was Robert I of Normandy's mistress and mother of William the Conqueror. The name carries that mix of common origin and extraordinary outcome that makes it narratively irresistible. As Arlett (without the terminal E), it reads as a slightly more streamlined, Anglophone-friendly form.
Arlette and the French Stage
In France, the name gained theatrical prestige through Arletty — born Léonie Bathiat in 1898 — the actress whose performance in Marcel Carné's Les Enfants du Paradis (1945) is considered one of the greatest in French cinema history. Her stage name, derived from Arlette, added glamour to an already elegant name. The film itself, made during the Nazi occupation of France and released at Liberation, is a monument of European cultural resilience, and Arletty's presence in it gave the name a complex, beautiful, historically charged identity. For parents who know this history, choosing Arlett is a specific act of cinematic homage.
Who Picks Arlett Today
American parents choosing Arlett are often of French, Spanish, or Latin American heritage — the name is occasionally used in Mexican and Central American communities as a more exotic variant of Arlette — or they are simply drawn to a name that sounds European and literary without being unpronounceable. The name sits naturally alongside Cosette and Colette for parents who want French feminine names that feel accessible. Arlett pairs beautifully with simple English middles: Arlett Marie, Arlett Claire, Arlett Jane. With only 1,186 registrations in U.S. history, a girl named Arlett will carry something genuinely rare — and genuinely beautiful.