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At a Glance
- Meaning
- Feminine diminutive of Charles, sharing its root meaning 'free man' (popularly softened to 'free woman')
- Origin
- French
- Gender
- Girl
- Pronunciation
- SHAR-lot
Charlotte is a classic French girl's name, pronounced SHAR-lot, that has a timeless feel without trying too hard. It's the feminine form of Charles, which shares the root meaning 'free man.' You'll often hear it said to mean 'free woman,' but that's a softened, feminized gloss rather than the literal etymology.
Meaning & Origin of Charlotte
Meaning: Feminine diminutive of Charles, sharing its root meaning 'free man' (popularly softened to 'free woman').
Origin: French.
A common claim: Charlotte is widely said to mean 'free woman.' Actually: That's a feminized folk gloss, not the literal etymology — the root Charlotte shares with Charles literally means 'free man,' not 'free woman.'
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Charlotte
SHAR-lotIPA /ˈʃɑːrlət/
Popularity of Charlotte
Charlotte does not appear in U.S. Social Security birth-name records (38,443 names on file, 1880–present) — likely too rare, too new, or recorded under a different spelling. No popularity rank or trend is shown rather than an invented one.
Names Like Charlotte
These names share Charlotte’s style, era or origin.
FAQ
What does the name Charlotte mean?
Feminine diminutive of Charles, sharing its root meaning ‘free man’ (popularly softened to ‘free woman’). (Source: Wiktionary)
How do you pronounce Charlotte?
Charlotte is pronounced SHAR-lot (IPA: /ˈʃɑːrlət/).
Make Charlotte Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Charlotte, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
📊 How popular is Charlotte? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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