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Charli

♀ Girl

Pronounced CHAR-lee /ˈtʃɑːr.li/High

Meaning: Feminine variant spelling of Charlie/Charles, from Old High German 'Karl' meaning man or free man; Charli is a modern -i spelling used primarily for girls, within the tradition of feminine short forms of CharlesHigh

In 30 seconds: Charli is a modern -i spelling of Charlie used primarily as a girls' name, meaning 'free man.' Fresh and contemporary, it has rocketed in popularity through social media star Charli D'Amelio and the broader trend of gender-neutral names for girls.
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Origin HighGerman, English
MeaningFeminine variant spelling of Charlie/Charles, from Old High German 'Karl' meaning man or free man; Charli is a modern -i spelling used primarily for girls, within the tradition of feminine short forms of Charles
U.S. rank (2025)#496 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births597 girls (0.03% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2021
Total births (all-time)≈ 11,687

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202119752025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Charli is a feminine variant spelling of Charlie, itself a diminutive of Charles, from Old High German Karl meaning 'man' or 'free man.' Charles became one of the great royal names of Europe through Charlemagne. The Charlie/Charli form as a girls' name reflects the broader 21st-century trend of masculine names crossing to feminine use.

The Charli spelling — with a final -i rather than -ie or -y — is a distinctly modern American feminine variant. It gained enormous visibility in the late 2010s and early 2020s through social media personality Charli D'Amelio. The name now ranks in the U.S. top 100 girls' names.

Did you know? Charli D'Amelio, who became the most-followed creator on TikTok in 2020 with over 100 million followers, brought this spelling of the name to enormous visibility — one of the most direct examples of a single influencer driving a name's popularity in naming history.
Overall data confidence 90%
Behind the Name — Charlie — etymology for the Charlie/Charli nameU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

CharlieCharlotteCharley

Nicknames

Char

Famous Bearers

  • ★Charli D'Amelio (2004–present)
    American social media personality, first creator to reach 100 million TikTok followers

If you like Charli…

Charlie— the standard spelling with the same Germanic root
Harley— shares the two-syllable -ley ending and the same gender-crossing modern appeal
Billie— shares the sporty -ie/-i girls' name tradition
Millie— shares the charming short -ie feminine form used as a standalone name

Frequently Asked

What does Charli mean?

Charli means 'free man' or 'strong man,' from the Germanic Karl, through the name Charles. As a girls' name it carries this meaning in a fresh, modern short form.

How do you pronounce Charli?

Charli is pronounced CHAR-lee /ˈtʃɑːr.li/ — two syllables with stress on the first, identical to Charlie.

Is Charli the same as Charlie?

They are alternate spellings with the same pronunciation. The -i ending is a modern feminine-coded spelling, while Charlie is more common for both boys and girls.

Is Charli a popular girls' name?

Yes. Charli has been rising rapidly and now ranks in the U.S. top 100 girls' names, significantly boosted by the fame of TikTok star Charli D'Amelio.