Charra
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "mountain" or "rock".
Name Census estimates that about 47 living Americans carry the first name Charra. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Charra today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Charra births was 1973 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Charra. 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 Charra. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
47
~ 1 in 7,292,645 Americans
Peak year
1973
9 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
1983 SSA rank
#10,533
Tracked since 1971
Census
Charra in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 115 people with the first name Charra, which placed it at #51,185 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#51,185
National first-name rank
People counted
115
115 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
47.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Charra
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Charra is Black at 47.0%. The next largest groups are White (39.1%) and Hispanic (7.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Charra described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Charra at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American47.0% · 54
- White39.1% · 45
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 9
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Popularity
Charra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Charra from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 39 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Charra remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Charra 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 Charra 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 Charra
The name Charra has its origins in the Sanskrit language, one of the oldest and most influential languages of the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to have first emerged around the 2nd century BCE, during the classical period of Indian history. The name Charra is derived from the Sanskrit word "charana," which means "feet" or "movement."
In ancient Hindu mythology, the term "charana" was often associated with the concept of divine feet, particularly those of deities or spiritual gurus. It was believed that touching or venerating the feet of these revered figures was a sign of respect and devotion. As a result, the name Charra may have been bestowed upon individuals as a symbol of their connection to the divine or their spiritual journey.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Charra can be found in the ancient Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. In this epic, the character Charra is mentioned as a sage or rishi, known for his wisdom and spiritual teachings. However, details about this figure remain scarce, and the reference is often considered more symbolic than historical.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Charra. One of the most prominent was Charra Nandlal (1810-1890), an Indian poet and scholar from the state of Uttar Pradesh. His works, written in the Braj Bhasha language, explored themes of devotion and spirituality, earning him recognition as a significant figure in the Bhakti movement.
Another noteworthy figure was Charra Singh (1720-1785), a Sikh warrior and military leader from the Punjab region. He played a crucial role in the battles against the Afghan invaders during the 18th century, and his bravery and leadership were celebrated in Sikh folklore and literature.
In the realm of classical Indian music, Charra Pandit (1890-1960) was a renowned vocalist and exponent of the Khayal style of Hindustani classical music. Born in Uttar Pradesh, he was recognized for his mastery of ragas and his contributions to preserving and promoting this rich musical tradition.
Charra Devi (1855-1935) was a Hindu spiritual leader and social reformer from the state of Rajasthan. She advocated for the rights and education of women, challenging traditional gender roles and promoting social change within her community.
Lastly, Charra Prasad (1912-1988) was an Indian writer and journalist from Bihar. His works, which included novels, short stories, and essays, explored themes of social justice, poverty, and the struggles of the marginalized sections of society.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Charra throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of Indian culture and heritage.
People
Charra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Charra 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
Charra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Charra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 47 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Charra 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 7,292,645 US residents.
Is Charra a common name?
We classify Charra as "Very Rare". It ranks above 53.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 51 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Charra most popular?
The single biggest year for Charra was 1973, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Charra is about 48 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Charra in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 115 people with the name Charra, or 0.04 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #51,185 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Charra in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Charra?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Charra appears almost entirely female. Of the 117 people counted with this name, 99.1% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Charra?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Charra is Black at 47.0%. The next largest groups are White (39.1%) and Hispanic (7.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Charra most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Charra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.0% (54 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Charra in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Charra a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Charra 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.
Is Charra still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Charra 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 Charra 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.
How many people are named Charra?
Want to know how many people have the name Charra? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.