2000
#20,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,177
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.44
Rare Last name
Charlie
An occupational surname derived from the Old English word "ceorl" meaning a free peasant or husbandman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,634 Americans carry the last name Charlie. That puts it at #19,072 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 209,764 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Charlie 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.
Bearers in the US
1.6K
1 in 209,764
Census rank
#19,072
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,425 bearers of the surname Charlie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19072nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Charlie, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 62.2%. The next largest groups are White (15.8%) and Black (9.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Charlie
The surname Charlie is thought to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "ceorl," which referred to a freeman or peasant farmer. This name was often given as a descriptive surname to individuals who belonged to this social class or worked as agricultural laborers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cerle" or "Cherle." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England.
During the 13th century, the surname evolved into various spellings such as "Cherli," "Charli," and "Charlie." These variations were influenced by regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
Notably, the Charlie family held lands in Staffordshire, England, as early as the 13th century. Records show that a John Charlie was a landowner in the village of Uttoxeter in 1275.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in historical records such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a Robert Charlie is mentioned as a resident of Oxfordshire.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Sir Thomas Charlie (c. 1420 - 1495), a prominent English soldier and landowner who served under King Edward IV during the Wars of the Roses.
During the 16th century, the surname was found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, where a Richard Charlie (c. 1530 - 1598) was a respected merchant and alderman in the city of York.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sir John Charlie (1560 - 1625), an English courtier and diplomat who served under Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.
In the 17th century, the Charlie family established themselves in the county of Dorset, where they held the manor of Charleigh (also spelled as "Charlie") near the town of Blandford Forum.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname was the English philosopher and mathematician, Charles Charlie (1642 - 1727), who made significant contributions to the development of calculus and the study of optics.
As the centuries passed, the surname Charlie continued to spread throughout England and its spellings further evolved, sometimes reflecting regional variations or the influence of other languages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Charlie
Among Census respondents with the surname Charlie, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 62.2%. The next largest groups are White (15.8%) and Black (9.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Charlie 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 Charlie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native62.2% · 886
- White15.8% · 225
- Black or African American9.4% · 134
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 74
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 53
- Two or more races3.7% · 53
Timeline
Historical Census data for Charlie
Charlie 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
#19,306
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,402
+225 bearers (+19.1%)
Per 100,000 0.48
Rank movement Up 1,548 places
2020
#19,072
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,425
+23 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.48
Rank movement Up 234 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,854 | 1,177 | 0.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,306 | 1,402 | 0.48 | +225 bearers (+19.1%) | Up 1,548 places |
| 2020 | #19,072 | 1,425 | 0.48 | +23 bearers (+1.6%) | Up 234 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 Charlie 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 | #19,306 | #19,072 | 1.2% |
| Count | 1,402 | 1,425 | 1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.48 | 0.48 | -0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Charlie bearers went from 1,402 to 1,425 (+1.6% change). The surname moved up 234 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,306 to #19,072.
FAQ
Charlie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Charlie?
Name Census estimates that about 1,634 living Americans carry the surname Charlie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 209,764 residents.
How common is Charlie?
Charlie ranks #19,072 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.48 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,425 people with the surname Charlie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,634), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.48 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Charlie.
Has Charlie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Charlie went from 1,402 recorded bearers to 1,425. That is an increase of 23 (+1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,306 to #19,072.
What does the Census say about the background of Charlie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Charlie, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 62.2%. The next largest groups are White (15.8%) and Black (9.4%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Charlie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.2% (886 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Charlie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (62.2%), White (15.8%), Black (9.4%). 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 Charlie (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 Charlie mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Old English word "ceorl" meaning a free peasant or husbandman. 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 Charlie (0.48 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 Americans have the surname Charlie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.