Charles
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…
Every Charles since 1880 — 2,447,135 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Charles
Charles is a top-50 name for boys in the United States, ranked #48 in 2025 with 5,898 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 2,447,135 American babies have been named Charles. Its peak came in 1947, when 40,919 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1940s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Charles stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Charles year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | #9,583 | 5,898 | #48 |
| 2024 | 8 | #11,336 | 5,613 | #51 |
| 2023 | 9 | #10,490 | 5,421 | #54 |
| 2022 | 9 | #10,565 | 5,934 | #50 |
| 2021 | 5 | #15,739 | 6,010 | #50 |
| 2020 | 13 | #8,068 | 6,249 | #46 |
| 2019 | 9 | #10,652 | 6,406 | #52 |
| 2018 | 13 | #8,247 | 6,667 | #53 |
| 2017 | 12 | #8,913 | 7,193 | #48 |
| 2016 | 17 | #6,972 | 7,127 | #52 |
| 2015 | 9 | #11,084 | 7,204 | #50 |
| 2014 | 15 | #7,747 | 7,362 | #51 |
| 2013 | 15 | #7,842 | 7,025 | #57 |
| 2012 | 15 | #7,905 | 6,947 | #62 |
| 2011 | 9 | #11,377 | 6,987 | #61 |
| 2010 | 8 | #12,523 | 7,106 | #63 |
| 2009 | — | — | 7,284 | #64 |
| 2008 | 19 | #6,858 | 7,288 | #63 |
| 2007 | 12 | #9,667 | 7,452 | #62 |
| 2006 | 14 | #8,334 | 8,013 | #60 |
| 2005 | 16 | #7,216 | 7,933 | #56 |
| 2004 | 54 | #2,932 | 7,652 | #56 |
| 2003 | 8 | #11,524 | 7,696 | #57 |
| 2002 | 7 | #12,475 | 7,208 | #58 |
| 2001 | 17 | #6,380 | 7,283 | #55 |
| 2000 | 14 | #7,248 | 7,525 | #51 |
| 1995 | 22 | #4,553 | 8,478 | #44 |
| 1990 | 42 | #2,744 | 12,000 | #38 |
| 1985 | 106 | #1,270 | 12,900 | #34 |
| 1980 | 116 | #1,162 | 14,959 | #29 |
| 1975 | 129 | #965 | 14,574 | #25 |
| 1970 | 148 | #892 | 22,411 | #21 |
| 1965 | 132 | #870 | 23,494 | #20 |
| 1960 | 132 | #927 | 29,677 | #13 |
| 1955 | 148 | #789 | 35,365 | #11 |
| 1950 | 154 | #693 | 39,095 | #9 |
| 1945 | 125 | #658 | 32,469 | #7 |
| 1940 | 140 | #589 | 31,689 | #6 |
| 1935 | 149 | #528 | 29,983 | #6 |
| 1930 | 237 | #436 | 31,867 | #6 |
| 1925 | 216 | #470 | 29,580 | #5 |
| 1920 | 163 | #564 | 28,309 | #5 |
| 1915 | 101 | #658 | 21,960 | #7 |
| 1910 | 32 | #756 | 4,784 | #7 |
| 1905 | 22 | #781 | 3,608 | #5 |
| 1900 | 28 | #676 | 4,098 | #5 |
| 1895 | 27 | #578 | 3,633 | #5 |
| 1890 | 30 | #477 | 4,061 | #5 |
| 1885 | 24 | #431 | 4,599 | #5 |
| 1880 | 11 | #520 | 5,348 | #4 |
Famous people named Charles
- Charles Darwin Biologist · 1809–1882
- Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Politician · 1500–1558
- Charles Dickens Writer · 1812–1870
- Charles de Gaulle Military personnel · 1890–1970
- Charles Lindbergh Pilot · 1902–1974
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Charles mean?
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”); compare the English word churl and the German…
How popular is the name Charles in 2025?
Charles ranked #48 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 5,898 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Charles?
2,447,135 babies have been named Charles in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Charles most popular?
Charles peaked in 1947, when 40,919 newborns received the name.
Is Charles a boy or girl name?
Charles is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Charles rising or falling?
Charles has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Charles?
Well-known people named Charles include Charles Darwin (biologist), Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (politician), Charles Dickens (writer).