Charles
Meaning: not confirmed (origin debated)
About the name Charles
The origin of Charles is debated, and we couldn't confirm its meaning from a sourced etymology. A commonly cited theory links it to German roots, with the meaning “Free man”. Treat that as a theory, not a settled fact.
Why we say this: we only state a meaning as fact when a sourced etymology (Wiktionary, with its references) supports it. For Charles we didn't find one we were confident in, so we show the popular explanation as a theory.
It has a classic, vintage feel. In 2025, Charles ranked #48 for boys in the US, with 5,898 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 1947. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Charles were boys.
- US rank 2025
- #48
- In 2015
- #50
- Babies in 2025
- 5,898
Popularity of Charles, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Nicknames for Charles
- Charlie
- Chuck
- Chaz
Names similar to Charles
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.