Charlye
A feminine diminutive form of the masculine name Charles meaning "free man".
Name Census estimates that about 309 living Americans carry the first name Charlye. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Charlye today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Charlye births was 2017 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Charlye. 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
309
~ 1 in 1,109,237 Americans
Peak year
2017
28 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,386
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Charlye: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Charlye from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 154 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Charlye 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 Charlye during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Charlyes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Charlye
The name Charlye is believed to have its origins in the French language, deriving from the Old French name Charles, which itself is a Germanic name that can be traced back to the 8th century. The name Charles is thought to come from the Germanic word "karl," meaning "man" or "husband."
The name Charlye is considered a diminutive or variant spelling of the name Charles, with the addition of the "y" at the end. This spelling variation likely emerged in the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance period, as creative spelling variants became more common.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Charlye can be found in the historical records of the city of Bordeaux, France, where a merchant named Charlye de Montfort is mentioned in a document dated to the 14th century.
During the Renaissance period, the name Charlye gained some popularity among the nobility and upper classes in parts of Europe. A notable historical figure with this name was Charlye de Valois, a French nobleman and military leader who fought in the Hundred Years' War in the 15th century.
In the 17th century, a French artist named Charlye Le Brun achieved fame as a painter and decorator at the court of King Louis XIV. His works can still be seen in the Palace of Versailles and other royal residences in France.
Another notable bearer of the name Charlye was an English poet and playwright from the 18th century, Charlye Westbury. He was known for his satirical works and is considered an important figure in the development of English literature during that time.
In the 19th century, a Scottish explorer and naturalist named Charlye Mackenzie made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in the Canadian Arctic regions. His detailed accounts and drawings of the wildlife he encountered are still referenced by modern researchers.
While the name Charlye has never been among the most common names, it has maintained a presence throughout history, particularly in parts of Europe where its French origins have been most strongly felt. Its connection to the name Charles and the longstanding tradition of creative spelling variations have kept this unique name alive over the centuries.
People
Charlye + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Charlye 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
Charlye: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Charlye?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 309 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Charlye 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 1,109,237 US residents.
Is Charlye a common name?
We classify Charlye as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 365 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Charlye most popular?
The single biggest year for Charlye was 2017, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Charlye is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Charlye a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Charlye 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.