Charla
A feminine name of Spanish origin meaning "talkative" or "chatter".
Name Census estimates that about 6,319 living Americans carry the first name Charla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Charla today is around 55 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Charla births was 1969 (219 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Charla. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
6.3K
~ 1 in 54,242 Americans
Peak year
1969
219 babies that year
Average age
55
years old
2023 SSA rank
#15,663
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Charla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Charla from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 1,869 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Charla by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Charla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Charlas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 30 states and territories. Texas, California, Ohio recorded the most babies named Charla, while South Carolina, New Mexico, Minnesota recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 150 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Charla
Charla is a feminine given name of Spanish origin, derived from the Spanish word "charla" which means "chat" or "conversation." The name likely emerged in the Spanish-speaking regions of Europe during the medieval period.
The earliest known recorded use of the name Charla dates back to the 16th century, when it was mentioned in a Spanish literary work. However, it was not a commonly used name at that time and remained relatively obscure until the late 19th century.
One of the earliest notable individuals named Charla was Charla Gutiérrez, a Spanish writer and poet who lived in the late 17th century. Her collection of love poems, titled "Charla de Amor," was widely acclaimed and contributed to the popularization of the name.
In the 18th century, Charla Fernández, a Spanish noblewoman and philanthropist, gained recognition for her charitable works and efforts to improve the lives of the underprivileged. Her legacy helped establish the name in aristocratic circles.
During the 19th century, Charla Martínez, a renowned Spanish artist, became famous for her vibrant portraits and landscapes. Her artistic contributions further elevated the name's prestige.
In the early 20th century, Charla Rivera, a Spanish-American civil rights activist, played a significant role in advocating for the rights of migrant workers in the United States. Her activism and dedication to social justice brought the name Charla into the public consciousness.
While the name Charla has Spanish roots, it has been adopted and used in various cultures and regions around the world, particularly in Latin America and Spanish-speaking communities.
People
Charla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Charla as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Charla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Charla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6,319 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Charla going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 54,242 US residents.
Is Charla a common name?
We classify Charla as "Rare". It ranks above 97% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 8,026 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Charla most popular?
The single biggest year for Charla was 1969, when 219 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Charla is about 55 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Charla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Charla in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.