Charles
A boys’ name of Germanic origin, meaning free man.
Babies a year
7,142
the US, 2017
Rarity
Common
among names in use
US popularity
#48
up from #51
UK popularity
#119
437 babies · unchanged
How Charles has moved
View as table
| Year | US rank |
|---|---|
| 2015 | #50 |
| 2016 | #51 |
| 2017 | #48 |
| 2018 | #53 |
| 2019 | #52 |
| 2020 | #46 |
| 2021 | #50 |
| 2022 | #50 |
| 2023 | #54 |
| 2024 | #51 |
| 2025 | #48 |
In 2025, 437 babies in England and Wales were named Charles. In the US, 7,142 were, though that figure is from 2017 — the most recent full year we hold. Its US peak was 40,772 in 1947.
Looking further back: between 1880 and 2008, Charles was most common in 1880, when it went to 4.52% of American babies of that sex. Squarely vintage-revival territory.
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