Find out how popular the first name Charles has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Charles by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Charles is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Charles being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 5,395 male babies and 9 female babies born with the name Charles.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 9 baby girls were named Charles in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Charles

The name Charles has its origins in the Germanic language family, derived from the Old German words 'karl' meaning 'man' and 'hraið' meaning 'army' or 'warrior'. It was initially popularized as the moniker 'Carolus' in Latin during the Middle Ages.

Early historical references to the name can be found in the 8th century writings of the Frankish scholar and poet Paulinus of Aquileia. He documented the name as a descriptor of martial prowess and virtue among the Carolingian dynasty of Frankish kings.

One of the earliest and most renowned bearers of the name was Charlemagne (742-814), also known as Charles the Great. As the King of the Franks and the first ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, he played a pivotal role in shaping medieval European history and culture.

Another noteworthy Charles was Charles V (1500-1558), the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, who presided over a vast empire spanning much of Europe and the Americas during the 16th century.

In England, the name gained prominence with the reign of Charles I (1600-1649), who ruled as the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1625 until his execution during the English Civil War. His son, Charles II (1630-1685), later restored the monarchy after the Interregnum period.

The name Charles also has a rich literary heritage, with acclaimed authors such as Charles Dickens (1812-1870), the renowned English novelist known for works like "A Tale of Two Cities" and "Great Expectations", and Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867), the influential French poet and critic who helped pioneer the modern poetry movement.

In the realm of science and philosophy, Charles Darwin (1809-1882) stands out as the celebrated English naturalist whose groundbreaking theory of evolution by natural selection revolutionized our understanding of the natural world.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Charles was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Charles, please contact us.

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