Charity Girl

Popularity: #851 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: CHAIR-i-tee //ˈtʃɛrɪti//

Origin: English; Latin

Meaning: English: benevolence; Latin: charity, love

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Charity is derived from the Latin word "caritas," which translates to "dear," "beloved," or "affectionate." This Latin term evolved from the earlier Greek word "agape," which denotes a form of love that is selfless and unconditional. The transition from Greek to Latin occurred as Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, with the term "caritas" being used in early Christian texts to describe the love of God and the love of one's neighbor.

The name entered the English language through Old French, where it was adopted as "charité," before becoming established in Middle English as "charite." This linguistic journey reflects the deep-rooted Christian values associated with the name. Charity has significant historical milestones, particularly in Christian contexts.

It is often associated with the theological virtue of charity, which is one of the three theological virtues in Christian doctrine, alongside faith and hope. The name appears in various religious texts and was notably referenced in the King James Bible, published in 1611, where it is used to describe the highest form of love.

Throughout the centuries, the name has been borne by various saints and notable figures, further embedding it within the Christian tradition. In the 17th century, the name gained popularity among English Puritans, who valued its moral implications and associations with benevolence and philanthropy.

Culturally, the name Charity embodies ideals of generosity, kindness, and altruism, resonating with the Christian call to love and serve others. It has been used in various literary works and has appeared in the names of charitable organizations, reinforcing its association with goodwill and humanitarian efforts.

The name also has diminutive forms, such as Char, which have emerged in different contexts. Overall, Charity carries a rich historical and cultural significance, reflecting enduring values of compassion and selflessness.

Famous people named Charity

In this section, you will find notable people named Charity. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Charity who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Charity who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Charity Wakefield is an actress best known for The Other Boleyn Girl, The Player, and The Pursuit of Love.

Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick is a singer and author best known for her memoir and performances in the operatic genre.

Fictional characters named Charity

The following list of fictional characters named Charity is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Charity is a fictional character from the novel The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. She is a kind-hearted girl who befriends Mary Lennox and helps her discover the beauty of the garden.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Charity, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

FaithHopeGraceJoyPatienceVerity

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Charity. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

ClementineSerenityTrinityVerityAmityUnityBenedictaHonor

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Charity was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Charity has ranked as high as #349 nationally, which occurred in 1975, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, and Georgia.

In the past 5 years the name Charity has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Charity is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Charity was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Charity.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 97 0 97
2024 95 0 95
2023 118 0 118
2022 118 0 118
2021 134 0 134
2020 145 0 145
2019 184 0 184
2018 189 0 189
2017 197 0 197
2016 197 0 197
2015 206 0 206
2014 247 0 247
2013 261 0 261
2012 277 0 277
2011 310 0 310
2010 315 0 315
2009 316 0 316
2008 369 0 369
2007 439 0 439
2006 435 0 435
2005 424 0 424
2004 508 0 508
2003 535 0 535
2002 544 0 544
2001 574 0 574
2000 608 0 608
1999 482 0 482
1998 476 0 476
1997 464 0 464
1996 490 0 490
1995 495 0 495
1994 484 0 484
1993 515 0 515
1992 485 0 485
1991 553 0 553
1990 536 0 536
1989 568 0 568
1988 648 0 648
1987 741 0 741
1986 861 5 856
1985 917 5 912
1984 790 0 790
1983 813 0 813
1982 859 0 859
1981 970 6 964
1980 1,061 0 1,061
1979 1,202 5 1,197
1978 1,072 5 1,067
1977 1,195 0 1,195
1976 1,210 5 1,205
1975 1,428 8 1,420
1974 1,410 0 1,410
1973 957 0 957
1972 583 0 583
1971 341 0 341
1970 343 0 343
1969 234 0 234
1968 115 0 115
1967 94 0 94
1966 99 0 99
1965 86 0 86
1964 74 0 74
1963 77 0 77
1962 81 0 81
1961 106 0 106
1960 70 0 70
1959 55 0 55
1958 51 0 51
1957 59 0 59
1956 57 0 57
1955 44 0 44
1954 38 0 38
1953 56 0 56
1952 50 0 50
1951 54 0 54
1950 55 0 55
1949 53 0 53
1948 48 0 48
1947 52 0 52
1946 49 0 49
1945 36 0 36
1944 39 0 39
1943 51 0 51
1942 42 0 42
1941 44 0 44
1940 42 0 42
1939 42 0 42
1938 40 0 40
1937 33 0 33
1936 34 0 34
1935 46 0 46
1934 30 0 30
1933 24 0 24
1932 48 0 48
1931 47 0 47
1930 41 0 41
1929 41 0 41
1928 53 0 53
1927 66 0 66
1926 51 0 51
1925 62 0 62
1924 70 0 70
1923 53 0 53
1922 57 0 57
1921 57 0 57
1920 63 0 63
1919 84 0 84
1918 75 0 75
1917 73 0 73
1916 79 0 79
1915 75 0 75
1914 59 0 59
1913 68 0 68
1912 55 0 55
1911 46 0 46
1910 44 0 44
1909 32 0 32
1908 50 0 50
1907 47 0 47
1906 53 0 53
1905 46 0 46
1904 44 0 44
1903 32 0 32
1902 34 0 34
1901 34 0 34
1900 44 0 44
1899 31 0 31
1898 50 0 50
1897 43 0 43
1896 39 0 39
1895 40 0 40
1894 41 0 41
1893 31 0 31
1892 35 0 35
1891 37 0 37
1890 53 0 53
1889 36 0 36
1888 47 0 47
1887 40 0 40
1886 38 0 38
1885 21 0 21
1884 31 0 31
1883 29 0 29
1882 30 0 30
1881 22 0 22
1880 29 0 29

Top States for Charity (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
MI 8
26%
VA 7
23%
TX 6
19%
GA 5
16%
PA 5
16%