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Charlena

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Charlena

Pronounced shar-LEE-nuh /ʃɑrˈli.nə/Medium

Meaning: Charlena is a feminine elaboration of Charlene — the diminutive feminine of Charles, from Germanic Karl, 'free man' — extended with an -a in the mid-century American style.Medium

In 30 seconds: Charlena is a flowing form of Charlene, carrying Charles's old 'free man' meaning — a genuine but uncommon mid-century name (said 'shar-LEE-nuh').

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Origin MediumGermanic, French

MeaningCharlena is a feminine elaboration of Charlene — the diminutive feminine of Charles, from Germanic Karl, 'free man' — extended with an -a in the mid-century American style.

U.S. rank (2015)#14884 ↘ Falling

2015 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1978

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,809

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Charlena extends Charlene, the feminine of Charles — from Germanic Karl, 'free man' — with a soft -a ending. It belongs to the family of Charlene, Sharlene, and Marlena that flourished in mid-century America.

Never common, it reads as warmly of its era. A girl named Charlena at its peak is now around retirement age, and the name sits comfortably beside other -lena names.

Did you know? The Charles behind Charlena comes from the Germanic Karl, 'free man', so the girl's name shares its root with kings and emperors named Charles.

Overall data confidence 55%

References — Charlene / Charles — parent names; Karl 'free man'

Variations

CharleneSharleneCharlaine

Nicknames

CharLena

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Charlena…

Charlene— the parent name Charlena elaborates

Sharlene— a close sh- variant of the same name

Marlena— a like -lena girl's name of the era

Aldena— another vintage pick

Hermina— the same vintage feel

Explore names like Charlena

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Charlena mean?

Charlena is a form of Charlene, the feminine of Charles, which means 'free man'.

How do you pronounce Charlena?

It's said shar-LEE-nuh /ʃɑrˈli.nə/ — 3 syllables, stress on the second.

Is Charlena a boy or girl name?

Charlena is used as a girl's name in the U.S.

How popular is Charlena?

Charlena is an uncommon, mid-century girl's name in the U.S., a form of Charlene.