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Home › Baby Names Directory › Charity

Charity

♀ Girl

Pronounced CHEHR-uh-tee /ˈt͡ʃɛɹ.ə.ti/Medium

Meaning: Dearness, esteem, loveMedium

In 30 seconds: Charity is an English girl's name meaning dearness, esteem, and love.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningDearness, esteem, love
U.S. rank (2025)#1981 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births97 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1975
Total births (all-time)≈ 35,516

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197518802025

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

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Charity is an English virtue name built on the ideas of dearness, esteem, and love. Like other names drawn from cherished qualities, it puts that meaning right on the surface, and it connects to the Spanish Caridad and the Norse-rooted Karítas, which carry the same loving sense.

Beyond the spiritual reading, the name has been worn by real achievers, such as Nigerian sprinter Charity Opara, who took a 4x400m relay silver at the 1996 Olympics. The shorter forms Carita and Karita keep the warmth while trimming the length.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Charity is 'dearness, esteem, love', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Charity — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

KarítasCaridadCaritaKarita

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Charity Opara (1972–present)
    Nigerian sprinter who won a silver medal in the 4x400m relay at the 1996 Summer Olympics; her 400m personal best is 49.29.

If you like Charity…

Clarity— lands in the same popularity range
Honesty— a fellow English choice
Loyalty— shares Charity's English roots
Majesty— lands in the same popularity range
Verity— shares the -ty ending

Explore names like Charity

By themeenglish
By meaningLove

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Charity mean?

Charity is usually explained as meaning 'dearness, esteem, love' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Charity?

It's commonly said CHEHR-uh-tee /ˈt͡ʃɛɹ.ə.ti/.

Is Charity a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Charity is used as a girl name.

How popular is Charity?

In 2024, Charity ranked #2037 in the U.S. for girls, with 95 births recorded.

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