2000
#589
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 51,518
First available Census row
Per 100,000 19.10
Uncommon Last name
Charles
A French occupational surname referring to a man, derived from the Germanic name Karl, meaning "free man."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 71,884 Americans carry the last name Charles. That puts it at #526 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 20.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Charles surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Charles with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
72K
1 in 4,768
Census rank
#526
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
21.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
63K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 62,686 bearers of the surname Charles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 20.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 526th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Charles, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.2%. The next largest groups are White (28.9%) and Hispanic (8.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Charles
Among Census respondents with the surname Charles, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.2%. The next largest groups are White (28.9%) and Hispanic (8.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Charles bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Charles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American55.2% · 34,620
- White28.9% · 18,110
- Hispanic or Latino8.9% · 5,591
- Two or more races3.9% · 2,443
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 1,095
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 827
Timeline
Historical Census data for Charles
Charles appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 61,211
+9,693 bearers (+18.8%)
Per 100,000 20.75
Rank movement Up 41 places
2020
#526
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 62,686
+1,475 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 20.97
Rank movement Up 22 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #589 | 51,518 | 19.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #548 | 61,211 | 20.75 | +9,693 bearers (+18.8%) | Up 41 places |
| 2020 | #526 | 62,686 | 20.97 | +1,475 bearers (+2.4%) | Up 22 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Charles surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #548 | #526 | 4.0% |
| Count | 61,211 | 62,686 | 2.4% |
| Per 100K | 20.75 | 20.97 | 1.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Charles bearers went from 61,211 to 62,686 (+2.4% change). The surname moved up 22 positions in the national ranking, going from #548 to #526.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Charles
FAQ
Charles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Charles?
Name Census estimates that about 71,884 living Americans carry the surname Charles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,768 residents.
How common is Charles?
Charles ranks #526 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 20.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 21 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 62,686 people with the surname Charles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (71,884), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 20.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 20.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 21 of them to have the surname Charles.
Has Charles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Charles went from 61,211 recorded bearers to 62,686. That is an increase of 1,475 (+2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #548 to #526.
What does the Census say about the background of Charles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Charles, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.2%. The next largest groups are White (28.9%) and Hispanic (8.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Charles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.2% (34,620 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Charles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (55.2%), White (28.9%), Hispanic (8.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Charles (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Charles mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a man, derived from the Germanic name Karl, meaning "free man." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Charles (20.97 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Charles?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.