Charles
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- CHARLZ
- Origin
- Germanic
- UK rank, 2025
- #125 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #48 for boys
Timeless
Charles is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “free man”. In 2025 it ranked 125th for boys in the UK (465 babies) and 48th for boys in the US (5,898 babies).
What does Charles mean?
Germanic: from Germanic karl, via French
“free man”
Borne by Charlemagne and by kings of England, Scotland, France and Spain.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Charles a girl's or a boy's name?
Charles is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 465 boys in the UK and 10 girls and 5,898 boys in the US.
How popular is Charles in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #125among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 465about 1 in 640 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 37% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 2.1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 465 boys in the UK were named Charles, making it the 125th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 97th. Its busiest year was 1998, with 1,970 boys.
2025 had the fewest boys named Charles since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Charles in the UK since 1996 were born between 2000 and 2014. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 119th in England and Wales, 298th in Scotland and 143rd in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#7), 1914 (#9), 1924 (#14), 1934 (#29), 1944 (#38), 1954 (#38), 1964 (#56), 1974 (#70), 1984 (#69), 1994 (#44), 2004 (#49) and 2014 (#63).
Charles in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 465 | #125 |
| 2024 | 495 | #120 |
| 2023 | 477 | #127 |
| 2022 | 576 | #110 |
| 2021 | 672 | #101 |
| 2020 | 683 | #97 |
| 2019 | 761 | #93 |
| 2018 | 819 | #89 |
| 2017 | 934 | #80 |
| 2016 | 973 | #80 |
| 2015 | 1,055 | #72 |
| 2014 | 1,104 | #66 |
| 2013 | 1,101 | #65 |
| 2012 | 1,161 | #66 |
| 2011 | 1,174 | #64 |
| 2010 | 1,249 | #68 |
| 2009 | 1,320 | #62 |
| 2008 | 1,434 | #59 |
| 2007 | 1,543 | #56 |
| 2006 | 1,533 | #53 |
| 2005 | 1,462 | #50 |
| 2004 | 1,531 | #48 |
| 2003 | 1,373 | #49 |
| 2002 | 1,383 | #50 |
| 2001 | 1,359 | #54 |
| 2000 | 1,618 | #46 |
| 1999 | 1,749 | #45 |
| 1998 | 1,970 | #44 |
| 1997 | 1,841 | #48 |
| 1996 | 1,794 | #47 |
How popular is Charles in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #48among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 5,898about 1 in 290 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 12% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 4.7%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 5,898 boys in the US were named Charles, making it the 48th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 46th. Its busiest year was 1947, with 40,781 boys. 10 girls were also named Charles in 2025 (9,454th for girls).
Half of all the boys named Charles in the US since 1880 were born between 1930 and 1968, the years shaded on the chart below.
Charles in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,898 | #48 |
| 2024 | 5,613 | #51 |
| 2023 | 5,421 | #54 |
| 2022 | 5,934 | #50 |
| 2021 | 6,010 | #50 |
| 2020 | 6,249 | #46 |
| 2019 | 6,406 | #52 |
| 2018 | 6,667 | #53 |
| 2017 | 7,193 | #48 |
| 2016 | 7,127 | #52 |
| 2015 | 7,204 | #50 |
| 2014 | 7,362 | #51 |
| 2013 | 7,025 | #57 |
| 2012 | 6,947 | #62 |
| 2011 | 6,987 | #61 |
| 2010 | 7,106 | #63 |
| 2009 | 7,284 | #64 |
| 2008 | 7,288 | #63 |
| 2007 | 7,452 | #62 |
| 2006 | 8,013 | #60 |
| 2005 | 7,933 | #56 |
| 2004 | 7,652 | #56 |
| 2003 | 7,696 | #57 |
| 2002 | 7,208 | #58 |
| 2001 | 7,283 | #55 |
| 2000 | 7,525 | #51 |
| 1999 | 7,525 | #50 |
| 1998 | 7,849 | #48 |
| 1997 | 7,656 | #49 |
| 1996 | 8,248 | #43 |
| 1995 | 8,478 | #44 |
| 1994 | 9,018 | #43 |
| 1993 | 9,855 | #44 |
| 1992 | 10,469 | #43 |
| 1991 | 11,336 | #38 |
| 1990 | 12,000 | #38 |
| 1989 | 12,245 | #36 |
| 1988 | 12,109 | #37 |
| 1987 | 12,173 | #35 |
| 1986 | 12,625 | #34 |
| 1985 | 12,900 | #34 |
| 1984 | 12,942 | #33 |
| 1983 | 13,212 | #33 |
| 1982 | 14,310 | #31 |
| 1981 | 14,427 | #31 |
| 1980 | 14,959 | #29 |
| 1979 | 14,806 | #28 |
| 1978 | 14,844 | #27 |
| 1977 | 14,743 | #26 |
| 1976 | 13,921 | #26 |
| 1975 | 14,574 | #25 |
| 1974 | 15,151 | #23 |
| 1973 | 15,752 | #23 |
| 1972 | 16,968 | #23 |
| 1971 | 19,851 | #22 |
| 1970 | 22,411 | #21 |
| 1969 | 21,658 | #19 |
| 1968 | 21,575 | #20 |
| 1967 | 21,288 | #20 |
| 1966 | 22,252 | #20 |
| 1965 | 23,494 | #20 |
| 1964 | 25,908 | #17 |
| 1963 | 26,762 | #16 |
| 1962 | 27,590 | #15 |
| 1961 | 29,194 | #13 |
| 1960 | 29,677 | #13 |
| 1959 | 30,797 | #11 |
| 1958 | 32,242 | #11 |
| 1957 | 34,283 | #11 |
| 1956 | 35,239 | #11 |
| 1955 | 35,365 | #11 |
| 1954 | 37,463 | #10 |
| 1953 | 38,421 | #9 |
| 1952 | 38,866 | #9 |
| 1951 | 39,406 | #9 |
| 1950 | 39,095 | #9 |
| 1949 | 40,052 | #9 |
| 1948 | 38,676 | #9 |
| 1947 | 40,781 | #9 |
| 1946 | 38,215 | #9 |
| 1945 | 32,469 | #7 |
| 1944 | 34,662 | #7 |
| 1943 | 36,632 | #7 |
| 1942 | 35,854 | #7 |
| 1941 | 32,742 | #6 |
| 1940 | 31,689 | #6 |
| 1939 | 30,789 | #6 |
| 1938 | 31,151 | #6 |
| 1937 | 30,520 | #6 |
| 1936 | 29,101 | #6 |
| 1935 | 29,983 | #6 |
| 1934 | 29,790 | #7 |
| 1933 | 28,991 | #6 |
| 1932 | 31,092 | #6 |
| 1931 | 29,934 | #6 |
| 1930 | 31,867 | #6 |
| 1929 | 29,930 | #5 |
| 1928 | 31,243 | #5 |
| 1927 | 31,941 | #5 |
| 1926 | 29,521 | #5 |
| 1925 | 29,580 | #5 |
| 1924 | 30,460 | #5 |
| 1923 | 28,966 | #5 |
| 1922 | 28,839 | #5 |
| 1921 | 29,242 | #5 |
| 1920 | 28,309 | #5 |
| 1919 | 25,192 | #5 |
| 1918 | 26,921 | #5 |
| 1917 | 24,143 | #7 |
| 1916 | 23,612 | #6 |
| 1915 | 21,960 | #7 |
| 1914 | 16,937 | #7 |
| 1913 | 13,191 | #7 |
| 1912 | 11,070 | #7 |
| 1911 | 5,725 | #7 |
| 1910 | 4,784 | #7 |
| 1909 | 4,029 | #7 |
| 1908 | 3,929 | #7 |
| 1907 | 3,884 | #6 |
| 1906 | 3,607 | #6 |
| 1905 | 3,608 | #5 |
| 1904 | 3,406 | #6 |
| 1903 | 3,213 | #5 |
| 1902 | 3,361 | #5 |
| 1901 | 3,049 | #5 |
| 1900 | 4,098 | #5 |
| 1899 | 3,147 | #5 |
| 1898 | 3,557 | #5 |
| 1897 | 3,341 | #5 |
| 1896 | 3,639 | #5 |
| 1895 | 3,633 | #5 |
| 1894 | 3,788 | #5 |
| 1893 | 3,723 | #5 |
| 1892 | 4,319 | #5 |
| 1891 | 3,640 | #5 |
| 1890 | 4,061 | #5 |
| 1889 | 4,199 | #5 |
| 1888 | 4,591 | #5 |
| 1887 | 4,031 | #5 |
| 1886 | 4,533 | #5 |
| 1885 | 4,599 | #5 |
| 1884 | 4,802 | #5 |
| 1883 | 4,826 | #4 |
| 1882 | 5,091 | #5 |
| 1881 | 4,636 | #5 |
| 1880 | 5,348 | #4 |
Nicknames for Charles
Names like Charles
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
James William John Lewis Robert Thomas Harry Joseph George Jack Frederick Patrick
Names related to Charles
More Germanic names
Amelia Liam Henry Charlotte Archie Charlie Emma Freddie Ella Millie Albie Matilda Louie Miles Alice Myles
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Charles: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/charles, updated 20 October 2026.