Baby Names Charles Name Meaning By Wendy Wisner twitter linkedin Wendy Wisner is a lactation consultant and writer covering maternal/child health, parenting, general health and wellness, and mental health. Learn about our editorial process Wendy Wisner Fact checked by Fact checked by Daniella Amato on July 23, 2021 Daniella Amato is a biomedical scientist and fact checker with expertise in pharmaceuticals and clinical research. Learn about our editorial process Daniella Amato on July 23, 2021 Print Everste / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents What Does Charles Mean? How Popular Is the Name Charles? Name Variations Common Nicknames Famous People Named Charles What Does Charles Mean? If you're looking for a traditional, masculine name that seems to never go out of style, consider using the name Charles. The name Charles is derived from the Old English word “ceorl,” meaning “free man.” The word “ceorl” was used to distinguish a free person from a bondsman or slave (“thew”) and a noble person (“eorl”). Origin: Charles is the French spelling of the Germanic name Karl (or Carl). Gender: Charles is traditionally the masculine form of the name. Feminine variations include Carla, Carlotta, Charlotte, and Charlie. Pronunciation: CHARLZ Although baby names are often separated by gender, Verywell Family believes that sex need not play any role in your name selection process. It’s important to select the name that you feel is best suited for your new baby. How Popular Is the Name Charles? Charles has been a popular name for boys in the U.S. for over a century. It was in the top 10 boy names from the late 1800s until the mid 1950s, dropping to No. 11 in 1955. The name dipped in popularity in the second half of the twentieth century, but even at its lowest point (No. 63 in 2010) it was still one of the top 100 boy names in America. It has rebounded somewhat in the past decade, rejoining the top 50. The latest statistics show that Charles is ranked as the No. 46 names for boys in the U.S. Although the name Charles is typically used as a masculine name, it can certainly be used however you see fit as sex doesn't have to be a part of your name selection process. Name Variations Here are just a few of the most common forms of the name Charles: Masculine Forms: Carl Carlito Carlo Carlos Chad Karl Karel Karlo Karlos Feminine Forms: Carla Carli/Carlie/Carly Carol/Carole Caroline/Carolyn Charlene/Charline Charli/Charlie/Charlee Charlize Karla Karolina Common Nicknames Charlie Chas/Chaz Chuck Famous People Named Charles The name Charles has long been associated with royalty, going back as far as Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, whose name means “Charles the Great.” There have been two kings of England named Charles—Charles I and Charles II—and the current heir to the British throne is Charles, Prince of Wales. Kings named Charles have also reigned over Austria, Romania, Sardinia, Spain, and Sweden. Other notable figures named Charles: Charles Addams, American cartoonist known for creating “The Addams Family” Charles Barkley, American athlete who was an NBA All-Star player and currently provides commentary for “Inside the NBA” Charles Baudelaire, French poet best known for his book “Les Fleurs du mal” Charles Babbage, English mathematician, philosopher, mechanical engineer and computer scientist Charles Bronson, American actor known for his role as a crime-fighting vigilante in the “Death Wish” film series Charles Bukowski, American poet, and novelist Charles Curtis, American politician who served as Vice President of the United States under President Herbert Hoover Charles Darwin, English scientist known for his book “On the Origin of Species” which introduced the theory of evolution Charles G. Dawes, American politician who served as Vice President of the United States under President Calvin Coolidge Charles Dickens, English novelist known for immensely popular books such as “A Christmas Carol,” “Great Expectations,” “Oliver Twist,” and “A Tale of Two Cities” Charles Dodgson, English author who published “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” under the pen name Lewis Carroll Charles W. Fairbanks, American politician who served as Vice President of the United States under President Theodore Roosevelt Charles Grodin, American actor who appeared in such films as “Midnight Run” and “Beethoven” before hosting “The Charles Grodin Show” on CNBC Charles Laughton, English actor known for his roles in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “Witness for the Prosecution” Charles Lindbergh, American aviator who was the first to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean Charles Martinet, American actor known for performing the voices of Mario and other characters in the Super Mario video game series Charles Harrison Mason, American preacher, founder of the Church of God in Christ Charles Myer, American major league baseball All Star second baseman Charles Mingus, American Jazz bassist and composer Charles Nelson Reilly, American comic actor and game show regular Charles Sifford, American golfer who was the first African American to play in a PGA tour Charles M. Schulz, American cartoonist, creator of the comic strip “Peanuts” Charles R. Schwab, American stock-broker and founder of the Charles Schwab Corporation Charles Davis Tillman, American musician, pioneer of Southern gospel music Charles Webb, American novelist, best known as the author of “The Graduate” Charles Wesley, American cleric who co-founded the Methodist Church Charles Wilson, American politician who was the subject of 2007 movie “Charlie Wilson's War” Charles Zadok, American businessman, art collector, and patron Famous people named Charlie: Charlie Chaplin, English actor, filmmaker, and composer, known for his contributions to silent film Charlie Daniels, American singer-songwriter known for his number-one country hit “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” Charlie Parker, American jazz saxophonist whose virtuoso playing and improvisation style revolutionized jazz Charlie Rose, American television personality, host of the program “Charlie Rose” on PBS Charlie Watts, English musician, drummer for the Rolling Stones More Baby Names Still searching for the perfect baby name? Check out these related baby name lists for even more options: Top 1,000 Baby Boy Names The Most Popular Boy Names of 2020 How to Choose a Name for Your Baby Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Social Security Administration. Popularity of the Name Charles. Updated 2020. Britannica. Charlemagne. Additional Reading Social Security Administration. Popular Baby Names.