Starlett
A feminine given name of American origin referring to a celestial star.
Name Census estimates that about 643 living Americans carry the first name Starlett. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Starlett today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Starlett births was 1981 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Starlett. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
643
~ 1 in 533,055 Americans
Peak year
1981
26 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,883
Tracked since 1942
Popularity
Starlett: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Starlett from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 116 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Starlett remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Starlett by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Starlett during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Starletts live
Origin
Meaning and history of Starlett
The name Starlett is a relatively modern name that emerged in the late 19th or early 20th century. It is an English name derived from the word "star," which comes from the Old English word "steorra." The suffix "-lett" is a diminutive form, indicating a small or little star.
The name Starlett does not appear to have any significant historical or cultural references in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records. Its origins can be traced back to the growing fascination with the celestial bodies and the romanticization of stars during the late Victorian era and the early 20th century.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Starlett is found in the 1920s. Starlett Cambon, born in 1923, was a French actress and model who appeared in several films during the 1940s and 1950s. She was known for her striking beauty and her association with the French New Wave cinema movement.
Another notable figure with the name Starlett was Starlett Miree, an American actress born in 1949. She had a successful career in television and appeared in popular shows such as "Barney Miller" and "The Rockford Files" in the 1970s and 1980s.
In the literary world, Starlett Curry was an American poet and author born in 1967. She published several collections of poetry and was known for her unique voice and her exploration of themes related to identity, feminism, and the human experience.
Starlett Hawkins, born in 1975, was an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. She gained popularity in the early 2000s with her alternative rock band and was known for her powerful vocals and emotionally charged lyrics.
Starlett Schrader, born in 1982, is an American professional golfer who has competed on the LPGA Tour and various other professional golf circuits. She has won multiple tournaments and has been recognized for her consistent and skilled performances on the golf course.
It is important to note that while these examples provide insights into the use of the name Starlett throughout history, the name itself is relatively modern and does not have a deep-rooted historical or cultural significance in the way that many ancient or traditional names do.
People
Starlett + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Starlett as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Starlett: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Starlett?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 643 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Starlett going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 533,055 US residents.
Is Starlett a common name?
We classify Starlett as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 741 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Starlett most popular?
The single biggest year for Starlett was 1981, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Starlett is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Starlett a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Starlett in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.