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At a Glance: Name: Charles – Meaning: free man – Origin: Germanic – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: CHARLZ
Charles is a classic boy's name with Germanic roots, carrying the meaning "free man." It's pronounced CHARLZ, and it's kept a timeless, classic style throughout its long history in the U.S.
Meaning & Origin of Charles
Meaning: Free man.
Origin: Germanic.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Charles
Phonetic: CHARLZ IPA: /ˈtʃɑːrlz/
Popularity of Charles
Charles has been recorded by the SSA every year from 1880 to 2024, peaking at #4 in 1880 with 5,348 babies and now sitting at #51 in 2024 with 5,593 babies — a name that's held steady popularity across more than a century.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Make Charles Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Charles, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Charles mean?
Free man. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Charles)
How do you pronounce Charles?
Charles is pronounced CHARLZ (IPA: /ˈtʃɑːrlz/).
Is Charles a popular name right now?
Charles peaked at #4 in 1880 and is ranked #51 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
📊 How popular is Charles? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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