| Aubrey | Scarlett | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Elf ruler | Scarlet, red |
| Origin | English | English |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | AW-bree | SKAR-lit |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1889 | 1937 |
| Peak year | 2012 (8,061) | 2017 (7,721) |
| In 2025 | 2,003 | 5,644 |
| Trend | Declining | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Aubrey | Scarlett |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 17,235 | 38,284 |
| 2010s | 65,935 | 58,287 |
| 2000s | 29,537 | 8,595 |
| 1990s | 10,906 | 2,257 |
| 1980s | 6,802 | 1,207 |
| 1970s | 2,055 | 923 |
| 1960s | 115 | 988 |
| 1950s | 92 | 560 |
| 1940s | 112 | 566 |
| 1930s | 174 | 20 |
| 1920s | 277 | 0 |
| 1910s | 177 | 0 |
| 1900s | 74 | 0 |
| 1890s | 19 | 0 |
| 1880s | 5 | 0 |
Aubrey comes from the Germanic Alberic, “elf ruler” or “ruler of supernatural beings.” Once a boy’s name, it is now chiefly given to girls.
An English occupational surname for a dyer or seller of scarlet cloth, now used for its rich red.
Scarlett is more popular than Aubrey today: about 5,644 US babies were given the name Scarlett in 2025, compared with 2,003 named Aubrey.
Aubrey means Elf ruler (English origin), while Scarlett means Scarlet, red (English origin).
In US records, Aubrey first appears in 1889 and Scarlett in 1937, so Aubrey has the longer recorded history.