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

Popularity of Charlotte by gender

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

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 12,596 female babies and 14 male babies born with the name Charlotte.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 14 baby boys were named Charlotte in 2023, despite it being a predominantly female name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Charlotte

The name Charlotte is derived from the French feminine diminutive form of the name Charles. It is a Germanic name, from the Old High German word "Karl" meaning "free man" or "manly." The name Charles also derives from the German name Karl, which was from the common adjective relating to the individual's make of being a "husband."

In the Late Antiquity period, the popularity of the name Charles was bolstered by its use in honor of Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, the King of the Franks who built a vast empire across western and central Europe in the 8th and 9th centuries. The feminine form Charlotte emerged in France in the Middle Ages, in the 12th century.

The earliest recorded example of the name Charlotte dates back to 1472 when it was used by Charlotte of Savoy, the second queen of King Louis XI of France. Another notable early bearer of the name was Charlotte of Albret, a 16th century French princess, who was the wife of Cesar Borgia and the subject of a famous portrait by Raphael.

In English history, one of the most prominent figures named Charlotte was Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III. Born in 1744, she was instrumental in establishing many charitable organizations and cultural institutions in Britain during her reign as queen consort from 1761 until her death in 1818.

Other famous women named Charlotte throughout history include:

Charlotte Corday (1768-1793), the French revolutionary who assassinated the Jacobin leader Jean-Paul Marat during the Reign of Terror.

Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855), the English novelist and poet, best known for her classic novel Jane Eyre.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935), the American feminist, writer, and social reformer whose works explored issues of gender and mental health.

Charlotte Cooper (1870-1966), the English tennis player who won five Wimbledon singles titles in the early 20th century.

Charlotte Salomon (1917-1943), the German-Jewish artist known for her autobiographical series of paintings called Life? or Theatre? created while in hiding during the Holocaust.

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 Charlotte was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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