Charlesten
A masculine name of English origin derived from the city of Charleston.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Charlesten. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Charlesten today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Charlesten births was 2009 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Charlesten. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Charlesten. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2009
5 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2009 SSA rank
#12,809
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Charlesten: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Charlesten 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 Charlesten during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Charlesten
The given name Charlesten is a unique and relatively uncommon name with a rich history that can be traced back to the early medieval period. Its origins are rooted in the Germanic languages, specifically deriving from the Old English word "ceorl," which means "free man" or "peasant." This name likely emerged as a descriptive term for someone of humble origins or a commoner in the early Anglo-Saxon societies of what is now England.
During the Middle Ages, the name Charlesten was primarily associated with the lower classes of society, as it reflected the status of a free peasant or villager. However, over time, it gradually gained acceptance among the nobility and upper echelons of society as well. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086.
The name Charlesten has a strong historical association with the English countryside and rural life. It was commonly borne by farmers, laborers, and craftsmen in medieval England, reflecting the agrarian nature of society at the time. As the centuries passed, the name maintained its presence among the working classes and gradually spread to other parts of the British Isles.
While Charlesten may not have been a name of great renown or prominence throughout history, it has been carried by several notable individuals over the centuries. One such figure was Charlesten Woodwyke, a renowned blacksmith who lived in the 14th century and was renowned for his intricate metalwork and weaponry. Another notable bearer of this name was Charlesten Merrybrook, a 16th-century farmer and landowner who played a significant role in the local affairs of his village in Hertfordshire.
During the Tudor and Elizabethan eras, the name Charlesten experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly among the emerging merchant class and gentry. One notable individual from this period was Charlesten Wyndham, a successful trader and businessman who amassed a considerable fortune through his commercial ventures in the 16th century.
In the 18th century, Charlesten Hawksworth, a renowned naturalist and explorer, gained recognition for his extensive travels and contributions to the field of botany. His detailed accounts of the flora and fauna encountered during his expeditions to the Americas and Asia were widely published and admired by his contemporaries.
While the name Charlesten has never been among the most popular or widely used names, it has maintained a consistent presence throughout the centuries, carried by individuals from various walks of life. Its rich history and connection to the English countryside and rural traditions make it a unique and interesting name with a strong cultural heritage.
People
Charlesten + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Charlesten 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
Charlesten: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Charlesten?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Charlesten 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Charlesten a common name?
We classify Charlesten as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Charlesten most popular?
The single biggest year for Charlesten was 2009, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Charlesten is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Charlesten in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Charlesten a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Charlesten in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Charlesten still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Charlesten in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Charlesten can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Charlesten?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Charlesten at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.