Cherles
A French name derived from Karl, meaning "free man".
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Cherles. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Cherles today is around 73 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cherles births was 1933 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cherles. 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
- • The typical person named Cherles is about 73 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Cherles' were born before 1963.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Cherles. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1933
5 babies that year
Average age
73
years old
1933 SSA rank
#3,728
Tracked since 1933
Popularity
Cherles: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Cherles 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 Cherles during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Cherles
The name Cherles is believed to have originated from the Old French name Charles, which is derived from the Germanic name Karl. The name Karl comes from the Old High German word "karal," meaning "man" or "husband." The transition from Karl to Charles occurred around the 9th century, when the French language evolved from the Gallo-Romance dialects.
In the Middle Ages, the name Charles gained popularity across Europe, particularly in France and England. One of the most notable historical figures bearing this name was Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, who ruled as the King of the Franks from 768 to 814 AD. Charlemagne was a powerful ruler who laid the foundations for the Holy Roman Empire.
Another famous bearer of the name was Charles V, who was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1519 to 1556. He ruled over a vast empire that included modern-day Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and parts of Italy. Charles V played a significant role in the spread of the Habsburg dynasty and the Counter-Reformation.
In England, the name Charles has been associated with several monarchs, including Charles I, who reigned from 1625 to 1649, and Charles II, who ruled from 1660 to 1685. Charles I's reign was marked by conflicts with Parliament, ultimately leading to the English Civil War and his execution. Charles II, on the other hand, is known for restoring the monarchy after the Interregnum period.
Beyond royalty, the name Cherles has also been borne by notable figures in various fields. Charles Darwin, the renowned English naturalist and geologist, was born in 1809 and is best known for his groundbreaking work on the theory of evolution. Another famous bearer of the name was Charles Dickens, the celebrated English novelist and social critic, who lived from 1812 to 1870.
In the realm of science and technology, Charles Babbage, born in 1791, is considered the "father of the computer" for his pioneering work on the Analytical Engine, a predecessor to modern computers. Charles Goodyear, born in 1800, was the inventor of the vulcanization process for rubber, which revolutionized the rubber industry.
While the name Cherles is not as common as its original spelling, Charles, it has nonetheless been a part of various cultures and histories, carried by rulers, scientists, writers, and other influential figures throughout the ages.
People
Cherles + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cherles 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
Cherles: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cherles?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cherles 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Cherles a common name?
We classify Cherles as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cherles most popular?
The single biggest year for Cherles was 1933, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cherles is about 73 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 Cherles in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cherles a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cherles 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 Cherles still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cherles 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 Cherles 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 people have Cherles as a first name?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.