Back to name search

Charles

Boy · German · Medium name

Meaning
Free man
Pronunciation
CHARLZ
Origin
German

From Germanic 'karl' meaning free man.

Popularity
Common in United States (2023)

Popularity: US SSA, 2023

ClassicVintageRoyal

Languages in use: German, English, French

Commonly used in: United States, United Kingdom, Western Europe

Alternate spellings

  • CarlosSpanish / Portuguese

    Spanish and Portuguese form.

Cultural associations

People who share this name. These are context, not the origin of the name.

  • Charles Darwin

    1809–1882

    English naturalist who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection.

    Reference
  • Charles Dickens

    1812–1870

    English novelist regarded as the greatest of the Victorian era.

    Reference

Similar names

Matched on shared origin, language, or verified meaning themes. Spelling similarity alone is not treated as a linguistic relationship.

Charlie

CHAR-lee

Gender-neutral · German

Meaning: Free man, manly, strong

Full profile

Carlos

KAR-lohs

Boy · German

Meaning: Free man, manly, strong

Full profile

Karl

KARL

Boy · German

Meaning: Free man, manly, strong

Full profile

Jocelyn

JOS-lin

Gender-neutral · German

Meaning: Joyous, cheerful, of the Gauts

Full profile

Adelaide

AD-uh-layd

Girl · German

Meaning: Noble kind, noble nature

Full profile

Sources for this record

US SSA, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications (2023). Last verified 2025-01-20.

How Lucky Stork verifies name data →