Sharletta
A feminine variant of the name Charlotte of French origin meaning "free woman".
Name Census estimates that about 34 living Americans carry the first name Sharletta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sharletta today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sharletta births was 1976 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sharletta. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Sharletta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
34
~ 1 in 10,081,010 Americans
Peak year
1976
7 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
1988 SSA rank
#10,194
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Sharletta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sharletta from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 19 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sharletta 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 Sharletta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sharletta
The name Sharletta is a unique and intriguing moniker that has its roots in various cultures and linguistic traditions. This moniker is believed to have originated from a blend of the English name Charlette and the French name Arlette.
The name Charlette itself is derived from the Old French name Carlet, which is a diminutive form of the masculine name Charles. Charles, in turn, traces its origins to the Germanic name Karl, meaning "free man" or "manly." On the other hand, the French name Arlette is a diminutive of the Germanic name Arlet, which is derived from the Old German word "ari," meaning "eagle."
The earliest recorded instance of the name Sharletta can be traced back to the late 19th century in the United States. However, it is worth noting that the name did not gain significant popularity until the 20th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Sharletta. One of the earliest recorded instances is Sharletta Mallory (1886-1963), an American educator and civil rights activist who played a pivotal role in desegregating schools in Mississippi.
Another prominent figure bearing this name is Sharletta Evans (1924-2005), an American jazz singer and actress who performed with renowned artists such as Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Her distinctive vocal style and stage presence earned her acclaim in the entertainment industry.
In the literary world, Sharletta Dunn (1941-2018) was an acclaimed American novelist and poet, whose works explored themes of identity, race, and social justice. Her novel "The Soulcatcher" was widely acclaimed and received numerous accolades.
Moving to the realm of sports, Sharletta Alston (born 1972) is a former professional basketball player who played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) for several teams, including the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock.
Lastly, Sharletta Woodward (born 1968) is a notable Australian artist and sculptor, renowned for her intricate metal sculptures and installations that explore themes of nature, human emotion, and the environment.
While the name Sharletta may not be as common as some other names, its unique blend of cultural influences and linguistic roots make it a captivating and intriguing choice that has left an indelible mark throughout history.
People
Sharletta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sharletta 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
Sharletta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sharletta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 34 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sharletta 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 10,081,010 US residents.
Is Sharletta a common name?
We classify Sharletta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 48.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 37 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sharletta most popular?
The single biggest year for Sharletta was 1976, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sharletta is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Sharletta in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sharletta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sharletta 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.
Is Sharletta still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sharletta in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Sharletta can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Sharletta?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.