Charles
Boy nameCharles has been given to 2,447,135 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1947 and currently ranks #48 for boys (2025).
Meaning & origin /t͡ʃɑɹlz/
From French Charles, from Old French Charles, Carles, from Latin Carolus, from and also reinfluenced by Frankish and Old High German Karl, from Proto-Germanic *karilaz (“free man”)API; compare the English word churl and the German Kerl. In reference to the Ecuadorian island, a clipping of the original name King Charles's Island, granted in honor of Charles II of England.
Origin: Germanic languages
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
2,447,135
Peak year
1947 (40,919 babies)
Rank in 2025
#48 for boys
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▼ -18%
Gender split
1% girls / 99% boys
Famous people named Charles
Charlie Chaplin
English actor and filmmaker (1889–1977)
Charles Dickens
English novelist and social critic (1812–1870)
Charles de Gaulle
French general and statesman (1890–1970)
Charles Baudelaire
French poet and critic (1821–1867)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Charles.
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