The cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church wear scarlet as a color of the blood of Christ and the Christian martyrs.

It gained popularity due to the character Scarlett O'Hara in Margaret Mitchell's best-selling novel Gone with the Wind and the film adaptation.

Scarlett originated as an occupation surname, designating a person who sold scarlet, a luxury wool cloth produced in Medieval Europe.

[2] The word is thought to derive from the Arabic siklāt, referring to silks dyed with kermes.

[3] It has also ranked among the top 100 names for newborn girls in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom in recent years.