Declining since 1986, #13,208 for girls today.
Popularity of Starlet since 1941
Babies named Starlet per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 62 |
| 1950s | 189 |
| 1960s | 220 |
| 1970s | 158 |
| 1980s | 161 |
| 1990s | 46 |
| 2000s | 78 |
| 2010s | 104 |
| 2020s | 39 |
Meaning & origin
Starlet is a rare name that entered U.S. records in 1941, at the height of Hollywood's golden age. It reached its peak popularity in 1981 but has since declined, with usage falling steadily from 1986 onward. In 2025, it ranked 13,208th, given to roughly 1 in 267,878 births. The name remains a unique choice for parents seeking a playful, cinematic feel, though it never entered the top 1,000 and is most often associated with the mid-20th-century film industry.
Starlet is a diminutive formed from the English word 'star' plus the French-derived suffix '-let' meaning 'little'. It was first used in the early 20th century to describe a young film actress with star potential, and was adopted as a given name in the 1940s, reflecting Hollywood's cultural influence on naming.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Star, Lettie
Variants: Starlett
Sibling names for Starlet
Names that share Starlet's style, for a brother or sister.
