Given name & surname
Charity
“a woman of generous love”
Charity is used as a given name and a surname. One Latin interpretation is “a woman of generous love.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Latin interpretation is “a woman of generous love.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Latin.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Charity through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 35,557
- 39 boys · 35,518 girls
- Most popular year
- 1975
- 1,428 babies
- 2025
- 97
- #1,981 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −38%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 97 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,981 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 38.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,420 in 1975. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (9). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 28,979 as a first name in 2020; 1,486 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Charity’s family of names
In English usage, Charity has an affectionate form in Cherry. Charity shares a linguistic root with Caridad. Charity has a related form in Charita.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Charity has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
4 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 19
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Charity
- Charity OparaNigerian sprinterborn 1972
- Charity AduleNigerian association football playerborn 1993
- Charity WakefieldBritish actressborn 1980
- Charity WilliamsCanadian rugby sevens playerborn 1996
- Charity NgiluKenyan politicianborn 1952
- Charity Adams EarleyUnited States African American woman Army officer1918–2002
- Charity EkezieNigerian TikToker and journalistborn 1991
- Charity WaciumaKenyan writerborn 1936
- Charity Basaza MulengaUgandan electric engineerborn 1979
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Charity, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Chastity
“having purity; a woman of innocence”
>99% girls
Esperanza
“hope” · “filled with hope”
>99% girls
Prudencja
“prudence”
—
Charissa
“having grace and kindness”
>99% girls
Gracja
“grace, charm”
>99% girls
Charisa
“having grace and kindness”
>99% girls
Chariss
“having grace and kindness”
>99% girls
Patience
“one who is patient; an enduring woman”
1% boys · 99% girls