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Home › Baby Names Directory › Charles

Charles

♀ Girl

Pronounced CHARLZ /ˈtʃɑrlz/High

Meaning: Charles is a classic given name from Germanic karl ('free man'), borne by kings and saints across Europe. It is overwhelmingly a boy's name; its use for a girl here is very much against the grain, which we note.Medium

In 30 seconds: A royal classic: Charles means 'free man' (said 'CHARLZ'). Strongly a boy's name — we note the lean here.
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Origin MediumEnglish, Germanic
MeaningCharles is a classic given name from Germanic karl ('free man'), borne by kings and saints across Europe. It is overwhelmingly a boy's name; its use for a girl here is very much against the grain, which we note.
U.S. rank (2025)#9583 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births10 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1927
Total births (all-time)≈ 12,476

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192718802025

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

Charles is a classic name from Germanic karl ('free man'), carried by kings, emperors, and saints. It is strongly a boys' name; used here for a girl, which we note runs against long tradition (said 'CHARLZ').

For girls in the U.S. it appears only very rarely, against overwhelming boys' use. Regal, classic, and strong.

Did you know? Charles, meaning 'free man', has crowned kings and emperors for centuries. It is overwhelmingly a boys' name; its use for a girl here runs strongly against the grain, which we note. Said 'CHARLZ'.
Overall data confidence 50%
References — Charles — Classic name 'free man'; strongly a boys' name

Variations

CharlsKarlCarlos

Nicknames

CharlieChar

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Charles…

Charlotte— the feminine of Charles many choose instead
Carly— a like feminine-of-Charles pick
Caroline— a similar elegant Charles-rooted name
Jane— another classic pick
Ann— lands in the same popularity range

Explore names like Charles

By themeclassiccross-sextraditionalregal

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Charles mean?

Charles means 'free man', from a Germanic root; it is a long-standing classic.

How do you pronounce Charles?

It's said CHARLZ /ˈtʃɑrlz/ — one syllable.

Is Charles a boy or girl name?

Charles is strongly a boys' name; its use for a girl here is unusual, which we note.

How popular is Charles?

For girls Charles is very rare in the U.S., though common for boys.

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