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Home › Baby Names Directory › Charlene

Charlene

♀ Girl

Pronounced shahr-LEEN /ʃɑɹ.ˈlin/Medium

Meaning: ManMedium

In 30 seconds: Charlene is an English feminine name from the Charles family, traditionally glossed as 'man' or 'free man'. The -ene ending makes it a graceful, mid-century-flavored girl's name.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningMan
U.S. rank (2025)#1948 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births99 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1952
Total births (all-time)≈ 133,728

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 195218882025

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

Charlene means 'man', the sense carried down from the Charles root, recast here as a feminine name. The -lene suffix turns the masculine base into a soft, flowing girl's name, and the family branches into spellings like Charleen, Sharleen, and Sharlene. It even reaches the more dramatic Charlize.

The sh- spellings such as Sharlene show how the name's opening sound gets written different ways. Actresses Charlene Choi and Charlene McKenna both carry the standard spelling.

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

Variations

CharleenSharleenSharleneCharlizeKaralina

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Charlene Choi (1982–present)
    Female public figure listed on Behind the Name.
  • ★Charlene McKenna (1984–present)
    Female public figure listed on Behind the Name.

If you like Charlene…

Charlize— Another feminine form of Charles in Charlene's variation list.
Charlotte— A fellow feminine of Charles sharing the 'man, free man' root.
Caroline— A feminine Charles name with the same masculine base recast for girls.
Cheyanne— shares Charlene's English roots
Serene— lands in the same popularity range

Explore names like Charlene

By themeenglish

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Charlene mean?

Charlene is usually explained as meaning 'man' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Charlene?

It's commonly said shahr-LEEN /ʃɑɹ.ˈlin/.

Is Charlene a boy or girl name?

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

How popular is Charlene?

In 2024, Charlene ranked #1747 in the U.S. for girls, with 115 births recorded.

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