Find out how popular the last name Charles is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Charles.

Charles, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Charles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Charles in America

Charles is the 548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Charles surname appeared 61,211 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 21 people would have the surname Charles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Charles to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Charles

The surname Charles originates from the French language and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Germanic name Karl, which means "free man" or "husband." The name Karl was later Latinized as Carolus, eventually becoming Charles in French.

Charles was a popular name among the Frankish and French nobility, particularly due to the fame of Charlemagne (742-814), the King of the Franks and the first ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. The widespread use of the name Charles among the French aristocracy and royalty contributed significantly to its widespread adoption as a surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Charles can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book lists individuals with the surname Charles residing in various parts of England, indicating the name's early presence in the region.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Charles was often associated with place names, such as Charles de Blois (1319-1364), a French nobleman and claimant to the Duchy of Brittany. In some cases, the surname may have originated from a place name that incorporated the name Charles, such as Charleswood or Charlemont.

Notable historical figures with the surname Charles include:

1. Jacques Alexandre César Charles (1746-1823), a French inventor and scientist best known for his work on gases, including the discovery of Charles' Law.

2. Elizabeth Charles (c. 1828-1896), an English educator and pioneering advocate for women's education, who founded several schools for girls in the 19th century.

3. Pierre Charles L'Enfant (1754-1825), a French-American architect and engineer who designed the basic plan for the city of Washington, D.C.

4. Robert Charles (1886-1917), an American World War I fighter pilot and the first pilot from the United States to be awarded the French Croix de Guerre medal.

5. Toney Charles (1953-2022), an American blues and soul singer and songwriter, known for his distinctive voice and contributions to the Memphis music scene.

The surname Charles has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by notable individuals across various fields, from science and engineering to education and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Charles

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Charles.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Charles was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Charles has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Charles was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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