Charles

Free man; Germanic origin meaning "independent person"

boyGermanic

How does Charles feel alongside your favorites? Talk through the sound, meaning and fit with your family.

Charles meaning & origin

Charles is listed in our catalog as a boy name. Its listed meaning is "Free man; Germanic origin meaning "independent person"". Listed origin: Germanic.

Pronunciation

CHARLZ

Catalog phonetic spelling

Popularity

In 2024, Charles ranked #51 in US Social Security name records for male births. This is the latest verified year in our catalog, not a live ranking.

Nicknames

CharlieChuck

Charles popularity by year

US Social Security birth-name ranks. A smaller rank means more recorded births in the reported sex category.
Birth yearRank
2020#46
2021#50
2022#50
2023#54
2024#51

Source: Social Security Administration. US data is not a worldwide measure of usage. Missing years are not zero births.

Middle Name Ideas

  • Charles Edward
  • Charles Henry
  • Charles Joseph

Famous Namesakes

  • Charles Dickens
  • Charles Darwin

Sources & notes

Meanings, origins, pronunciations, and namesakes are catalog entries that have not yet completed source-by-source editorial review. Nicknames and middle-name pairings are ideas to try, not usage statistics. We show birth-name ranks only when the record includes source-file provenance; missing data is not evidence of rarity.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Charles

What does the name Charles mean?

Charles is listed in our catalog as a boy name. Its listed meaning is "Free man; Germanic origin meaning "independent person"". Listed origin: Germanic.

How do you pronounce Charles?

Our catalog's pronunciation guide is CHARLZ. Pronunciation can vary by language and family.

How popular is the name Charles?

In 2024, Charles ranked #51 in US Social Security name records for male births. This is the latest verified year in our catalog, not a live ranking.

What nickname ideas could work for Charles?

Ideas to try include Charlie, Chuck. These are suggestions, not a measure of usage.

What middle names could work with Charles?

Try Charles Edward, Charles Henry, Charles Joseph aloud with your surname. These pairings are subjective suggestions.

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