Colette Girl

Popularity: #297 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: koh-LET //kəˈlɛt//

Origin: French; Latin

Meaning: French: victory of the people; Latin: girl

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Colette is derived from the French diminutive of the name Nicolette, which itself is a diminutive of the name Nicole. Nicole has its roots in the Greek name Nikolaos, composed of the elements 'nikē' meaning 'victory' and 'laos' meaning 'people.' The transition from Greek to Latin occurred as Nikolaos was adopted into Latin as Nicolaus, which then influenced the development of the name in various European languages, including the Old French form Nicolle, eventually leading to Nicolette and its diminutive Colette in the medieval period.

Historically, the name Colette gained prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly through the influential French author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, who was active during the Belle Époque and is best known for her novels such as "Gigi" and "Claudine at School." Colette's literary contributions, which often explored themes of femininity and sexuality, helped to solidify the name's cultural significance in France and beyond. The name also appears in various historical contexts, including references in literature and art, which have contributed to its enduring legacy.

Culturally, Colette is often associated with notions of creativity, independence, and strength, reflecting the characteristics of its most famous bearer. The name has been embraced in various artistic and literary circles, symbolizing a connection to the bohemian lifestyle and the avant-garde movements of the early 20th century.

Its diminutive form, Colette, carries a sense of intimacy and affection, which has further enhanced its appeal in literary and cultural contexts.

Famous people named Colette

In this section, you will find notable people named Colette. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Colette who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Colette who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Colette is a novelist best known for Gigi, Cheri, and The Vagabond.

Colette Besson is an athlete best known for winning a gold medal in the 400 meters at the 1968 Olympics.

Fictional characters named Colette

The following list of fictional characters named Colette is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Colette is a fictional character from the novel Gigi by Colette. She is a young girl being groomed to become a courtesan in turn-of-the-century Paris.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Colette, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

CharlotteJulietteMargotAmélieSophieLucie

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Colette. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

NicoletteCelesteOdetteJulietteAntoinetteIsabelleMarguerite

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Colette was first seen in the United States in 1892.

Colette has ranked as high as #673 nationally, which occurred in 2025, and has been most popular in California, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

In the past 5 years the name Colette has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Colette is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Colette was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Colette.

Year Total Births Girl
2025 962 962
2024 790 790
2023 699 699
2022 698 698
2021 686 686
2020 568 568
2019 630 630
2018 587 587
2017 585 585
2016 677 677
2015 597 597
2014 590 590
2013 458 458
2012 426 426
2011 240 240
2010 208 208
2009 208 208
2008 191 191
2007 152 152
2006 161 161
2005 150 150
2004 154 154
2003 135 135
2002 151 151
2001 182 182
2000 182 182
1999 179 179
1998 121 121
1997 142 142
1996 159 159
1995 166 166
1994 134 134
1993 134 134
1992 125 125
1991 138 138
1990 128 128
1989 147 147
1988 155 155
1987 146 146
1986 182 182
1985 244 244
1984 196 196
1983 177 177
1982 192 192
1981 161 161
1980 190 190
1979 171 171
1978 179 179
1977 191 191
1976 191 191
1975 230 230
1974 251 251
1973 262 262
1972 267 267
1971 357 357
1970 395 395
1969 396 396
1968 391 391
1967 467 467
1966 595 595
1965 447 447
1964 486 486
1963 496 496
1962 475 475
1961 487 487
1960 524 524
1959 473 473
1958 496 496
1957 434 434
1956 410 410
1955 375 375
1954 378 378
1953 348 348
1952 290 290
1951 265 265
1950 201 201
1949 189 189
1948 171 171
1947 166 166
1946 135 135
1945 77 77
1944 105 105
1943 108 108
1942 88 88
1941 90 90
1940 75 75
1939 70 70
1938 99 99
1937 79 79
1936 66 66
1935 85 85
1934 67 67
1933 82 82
1932 68 68
1931 65 65
1930 66 66
1929 65 65
1928 59 59
1927 38 38
1926 47 47
1925 49 49
1924 58 58
1923 45 45
1922 32 32
1921 34 34
1920 34 34
1919 24 24
1918 34 34
1917 30 30
1916 36 36
1915 21 21
1914 30 30
1913 22 22
1912 22 22
1911 17 17
1910 14 14
1909 16 16
1908 16 16
1907 13 13
1906 5 5
1903 5 5
1901 9 9
1900 12 12
1899 8 8
1898 6 6
1897 5 5
1895 6 6
1893 8 8
1892 5 5

Top States for Colette (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 95
12%
NY 57
7%
TX 55
7%
FL 39
5%
IL 39
5%
OH 38
5%
PA 32
4%
MA 28
4%
CO 28
4%
GA 23
3%
MN 23
3%
NJ 22
3%
VA 22
3%
WA 21
3%
MI 20
3%
WI 20
3%
MO 17
2%
NC 17
2%
KS 13
2%
SC 13
2%
AZ 13
2%
OR 13
2%
UT 12
2%
IN 12
2%
MD 11
1%
AL 10
1%
LA 9
1%
TN 9
1%
CT 8
1%
DC 8
1%
IA 8
1%
VT 6
1%
NE 5
1%
NV 5
1%
ID 5
1%
OK 5
1%