Given name & surname · also German, English
Charles
“charles the Great”·“one who is manly and strong”·“a free man”
Charles is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “charles the Great”, “one who is manly and strong”, and “a free man”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Original GermanKarl
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “charles the Great”, “one who is manly and strong”, and “a free man”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Germanic.
How it developed
In Cebuano usage, Charles developed from Karl. In Cebuano usage, Charles developed from Carolus.
The story
The name has a history of use among French royal or aristocratic families.
Charles through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,447,135
- 2,434,659 boys · 12,476 girls
- Most popular year
- 1947
- 40,919 babies
- 2025
- 5,908
- #48 for boys · #9,583 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −14%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 5,898 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 48 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 14.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 40,781 in 1947. It also appeared in 10 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (478). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,207,972 as a first name in 2020; 62,686 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.
Charles’s family of names
In English usage, Charles has a nickname in Chad. Charles shares a linguistic root with Carlos. In English usage, Charles has a conventional equivalent in the Romanian form Carol.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Charles has relatives in 64 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.
81 related names in 64 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 30
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Charlottediminutive · French, English
- Charliepet form · English, French
- Carolinediminutive · French
- Charleevariant
- Charlivariant
- Charleydiminutive · English
- Charleighvariant
- Chadnickname · English
Show 22 moreShow fewer
- Charlenediminutive · English
- Charlydiminutive · English
- Chipdiminutive · English
- Chazshort form · English
- Chuckdiminutive · English
- Charleavariant
- Chasshort form · English
- Chazzvariant
- Charlleslikely variant
- Karlottadiminutive · Icelandic
- Charlotdiminutive · French, nrf
- Chuckydiminutive · English
- Chicdiminutive · English
- Charlsvariant
- Charrleslikely variant
- Charlesslikely variant
- Siarlsvariant · Welsh
- Chas.short form · English
- Tchèrlidiminutive · nrf
- Karolusvariant · Latin
- Chazzadiminutive · English
- Charsvariant
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 77
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Karldoublet · German, Norwegian
- Kerlcognate · German
- Carlosdoublet · Portuguese, Spanish
- Carlodoublet · Italian, English
- Carlcognate · English, Danish
- Carolsee also · Romanian
- Charlizefeminine form
- Karolcognate · Polish, Slovak
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- Calerelated form
- KarloEsperanto, Basque
- Kaleborrowing · Hawaiian
- Sharlenefeminine form
- Karelcognate · Czech, Dutch
- Charlyneequivalent
- Charelequivalent
- Cathalequivalent
- Charleson“son of” surname · English
- Charlafeminine form · English
- Charlesiafeminine form
- Charlesettafeminine form
- Chickrelated form
- Carelequivalent
- CarlesCatalan, Occitan
- KarolisLithuanian
- KaarloFinnish
- Carolusolder form · Latin
- JarlBreton
- Карлоequivalent
- Tchårlotequivalent
- చార్లెస్equivalent
- Chairlesequivalent
- Karulequivalent
- চার্লসborrowing · Bengali
- Шарльborrowing · Russian
- شارلborrowing · Persian, Arabic
- Tchålecognate · Walloon
- 찰스borrowing · Korean
- چارلزderivative · Persian
- ΚάρολοςGreek
- Siarlborrowing · Welsh
- Sarelderivative · Afrikaans
- Xarlesrelated form
- КарлUkrainian, Russian
- चार्ल्सHindi
- Carlètolmo
- ЧарльзRussian, Mongolian
- ÇhalseManx
- KaaliGreenlandic
- KaarelEstonian
- Séarlascognate · Irish
- KaaraliGreenlandic
- KārlisLatvian
- TāreMāori
- Teàrlachsee also · Scottish Gaelic
- ŞarlTurkish
- KárelSlovene
- CiarlìSicilian
- CialìSicilian
- ЧарлзRussian, Bulgarian
- シャルルJapanese
And 17 more.
See also 5
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Charles
- Charles DarwinEnglish naturalist and biologist (1809–1882)
- Charlie ChaplinEnglish actor and filmmaker (1889–1977)
- Charles DickensEnglish novelist and social critic (1812–1870)
- Charles de GaulleFrench general and statesman (1890–1970)
- Charles BaudelaireFrench poet and critic (1821–1867)
- Charles IIIKing of the United Kingdom since 2022 (born 1948)
- MontesquieuFrench philosopher (1689–1755)
- Lewis CarrollBritish author and scholar (1832–1898)
- Charles V, Holy Roman EmperorHoly Roman Emperor from 1519 to 1556 (1500–1558)
Characters named Charles: Mr. Burns (The Simpsons franchise), Question (fictional superhero), Trip Tucker (fictional character form Star Trek: Enterprise), Charles Widmore (the television series Lost).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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Similar names
If you love Charles, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
William
“will” · “desire”
>99% boys
Robert
“one who is bright with fame”
>99% boys
Richard
“a powerful ruler”
>99% boys
Louis
“loud; famous”
>99% boys
Edward
“a wealthy protector”
>99% boys
Roger
“fame-spear”
>99% boys
Frederick
“a peaceful ruler”
>99% boys
Gerald
“one who rules with the spear”
>99% boys