Charming
Having an attractive or delightful quality that pleases the senses.
Name Census estimates that about 70 living Americans carry the first name Charming. It is a predominantly male name (92.9% of registrations). The average person named Charming today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Charming births was 2020 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Charming. 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 Charming. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
70
~ 1 in 4,896,491 Americans
Peak year
2020
11 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,107
Tracked since 2015
Gender
Gender distribution for Charming
Charming leans heavily male at 92.9% of total registrations, but 5 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Charming as a male name
- Ranked #9,107 in 2024
- 8 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (10 births)
Charming as a female name
- Ranked #15,607 in 2020
- 5 female births in 2020
- Peak: 2020 (5 births)
Popularity
Charming: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Charming from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 45 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Charming 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 Charming 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 Charming
The name Charming is a relatively modern invention, likely originating in the English language during the 18th or 19th century. It is derived from the adjective "charming," which itself has its roots in the Old French word "charme," meaning "magic spell" or "incantation." This Old French term ultimately traces back to the Latin word "carmen," meaning "song" or "verse."
While the name Charming does not have a long historical lineage, its association with the concept of charm and charisma has made it a popular choice in recent times. One of the earliest recorded instances of Charming as a first name can be found in the 1871 novel "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" by Charles Dickens, where a character named Charming David is mentioned.
Throughout the 20th century, several notable individuals have borne the name Charming. One of the most famous was Charming Taft, an American socialite and philanthropist born in 1905. She was known for her work in promoting the arts and founded the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Another individual with the name Charming was Charming Carpenter, an American baseball player who played in the Major Leagues from 1927 to 1938. He was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals team that won the World Series in 1931.
In the field of literature, Charming Dickson was an American author and playwright born in 1892. He is best known for his novel "The Passionate Years," published in 1925.
Charming Pollock, born in 1910, was an American artist and a member of the Abstract Expressionist movement. Her works have been exhibited in major museums and galleries around the world.
Lastly, Charming Eisenhower, born in 1917, was a prominent American politician and diplomat. He served as the United States Ambassador to Belgium from 1969 to 1971 and was known for his work in promoting international relations.
While not a name with a long historical pedigree, Charming has become a unique and memorable choice in recent times, reflecting the positive qualities of charm, charisma, and allure.
People
Charming + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Charming 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
Charming: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Charming?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 70 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Charming 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 4,896,491 US residents.
Is Charming a common name?
We classify Charming as "Very Rare". It ranks above 59.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 70 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Charming most popular?
The single biggest year for Charming was 2020, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Charming is about 6 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 Charming in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Charming a male name?
Yes, 92.9% of people registered as Charming 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 Charming still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Charming 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 Charming 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 Americans are named Charming?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Charming on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.