Charlet
A feminine French diminutive of the name Charlotte, meaning "free woman".
Name Census estimates that about 442 living Americans carry the first name Charlet. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Charlet today is around 53 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Charlet births was 1965 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Charlet. 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
442
~ 1 in 775,462 Americans
Peak year
1965
22 babies that year
Average age
53
years old
2018 SSA rank
#8,247
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Charlet: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Charlet from the 1910s through to the 2010s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 129 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1950s peak, Charlet remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Charlet 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 Charlet during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Charlet
The name Charlet has its origins in the French language and culture. It is a diminutive form of the French name Charles, which is derived from the Germanic name Karl, meaning "man" or "husband." The earliest recorded use of the name Charlet dates back to the Middle Ages in France.
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Charlet can be found in the records of the French nobility during the 12th century. Charlet de Montfort, a knight who fought in the Crusades, was born around 1170. His name appeared in chronicles documenting the Third Crusade led by King Richard the Lionheart.
During the Renaissance period, the name Charlet gained popularity among the French aristocracy. Charlet de Valois, born in 1489, was a courtier and trusted advisor to King Francis I of France. She played a significant role in the cultural and intellectual life of the French court during the 16th century.
In the 17th century, Charlet Rambouillet, born in 1588, was a prominent figure in the French literary salons. She hosted gatherings of writers, poets, and intellectuals at her famous salon, the Hôtel de Rambouillet, which influenced the development of French literature and language.
The name Charlet also found its way into the world of art and culture. Charlet Daumier, a French printmaker and caricaturist, was born in 1808. His satirical works, often criticizing the social and political conditions of his time, earned him widespread recognition and influence in the field of caricature art.
Another notable figure with the name Charlet was Charlet Baudelaire, a French poet born in 1821. He is considered one of the most influential poets of the 19th century and a key figure in the Symbolist movement. His poetry explored themes of beauty, death, and the human condition, leaving a lasting impact on the literary world.
While these historical examples showcase the rich heritage and cultural significance of the name Charlet, it is important to note that this report focuses solely on its use as a first name and does not cover its potential usage as a surname or last name.
People
Charlet + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Charlet 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
Charlet: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Charlet?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 442 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Charlet 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 775,462 US residents.
Is Charlet a common name?
We classify Charlet as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 657 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Charlet most popular?
The single biggest year for Charlet was 1965, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Charlet is about 53 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Charlet a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Charlet 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.