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Home › Baby Names Directory › Charleston

Charleston

♂ Boy

Pronounced char-LEHS-tohn /tʃær.ˈlɛs.toʊn/Medium

Meaning: Origin uncertainLow

In 30 seconds: Charleston appears as an African American boy's name; its origin as a given name is uncertain.
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Origin MediumAfrican American, Portuguese, American
MeaningOrigin uncertain
U.S. rank (2025)#3003 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births41 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2015
Total births (all-time)≈ 2,508

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201519142025

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

Charleston is listed within the African American naming tradition, with its origin as a given name marked uncertain. It reads as a place-and-surname style name carried into first-name use. Rather than assert a fixed meaning, the record leaves the origin open.

The name runs to three syllables and shares its shape with the well-known city name. That length gives it a formal, full-bodied sound.

Did you know? Charleston likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 62%
Behind the Name - Charleston — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

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If you like Charleston…

Charles— The shorter root sound that opens Charleston, a long-standing boy's name.
Carson— Shares Charleston's surname-style sound and -son ending.
Davion— lands in the same popularity range
Javion— a fellow American choice
Zayvion— shares the -on ending

Explore names like Charleston

By themeunisexsurname-styleafrican-americanportuguese

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Charleston mean?

Charleston is usually explained as meaning 'origin uncertain' and is most often linked with African American tradition.

How do you pronounce Charleston?

It's commonly said char-LEHS-tohn /tʃær.ˈlɛs.toʊn/.

Is Charleston a boy or girl name?

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

How popular is Charleston?

In 2024, Charleston ranked #2791 in the U.S. for boys, with 46 births recorded.

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