Charlene Girl

Popularity: #849 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: shar-LEEN /ʃɑːrˈliːn/

Origin: French; English

Meaning: French: free man; English: diminutive of Charles

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Charlene is derived from the masculine name Charles, which has its roots in the Germanic name Karl, meaning "free man" or "man." The name Karl was introduced to England by the Normans in the form of Charles, which became popular in the Middle Ages. The feminine form Charlene emerged in the 19th century as a diminutive or variation of Charles, combining the suffix "-ene" to create a distinctly feminine version.

This transformation reflects a common linguistic practice of adapting male names into female forms by adding feminine suffixes, a trend observed in various cultures and languages. Historically, the name Charles has been borne by numerous significant figures, including Charlemagne, the King of the Franks and Lombards in the late 8th and early 9th centuries, who was a pivotal figure in European history and the Carolingian Renaissance.

The name has also been associated with various saints and monarchs throughout the centuries, contributing to its enduring legacy. The feminine form Charlene gained traction in the 20th century, particularly in English-speaking countries, influenced by the popularity of the name Charles and its variants.

Culturally, Charlene has been embraced in literature and media, often symbolizing grace and strength, which are qualities associated with its root name Charles. The name has been used in various artistic works and has appeared in popular culture, further solidifying its place in the lexicon of names.

The diminutive form Charlie is also noteworthy, as it has been used affectionately across different contexts, reflecting the name's versatility and appeal. Overall, Charlene carries with it a rich historical and cultural significance, rooted in the legacy of its masculine counterpart.

Famous people named Charlene

In this section, you will find notable people named Charlene. 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 Charlene who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Charlene 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.

Charlene Tilton is an actress best known for Dallas, The Love Boat, and The Golden Girls.

Charlene Choi is a singer and actress best known for her work with the duo Twins, and films like The Twins Effect and The Sorcerer and the White Snake.

Charlene Soraia is a singer-songwriter best known for her song Wherever You Will Go, and her album Love Is the Law.

Fictional characters named Charlene

The following list of fictional characters named Charlene 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.

Charlene is a fictional character from the animated television series The Magic School Bus. She is a student in Ms. Frizzle's class who often participates in the adventurous field trips.

Sibling suggestions

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

CharlotteCharlesCharlizeChloeCatherineCassandra

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Charlene. 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.

CarolineCarmenCharityCassandraCeciliaCynthiaCeliaChantal

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Charlene was first seen in the United States in 1888.

Charlene has ranked as high as #204 nationally, which occurred in 1952, and has been most popular in California, New York, Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Charlene 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 Charlene 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 Charlene.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 99 0 99
2024 115 0 115
2023 102 0 102
2022 111 0 111
2021 114 0 114
2020 119 0 119
2019 111 0 111
2018 112 0 112
2017 153 0 153
2016 147 0 147
2015 146 0 146
2014 159 0 159
2013 116 0 116
2012 134 0 134
2011 134 0 134
2010 136 0 136
2009 142 0 142
2008 153 0 153
2007 182 0 182
2006 190 0 190
2005 178 0 178
2004 202 0 202
2003 165 0 165
2002 170 0 170
2001 168 0 168
2000 191 0 191
1999 208 0 208
1998 252 0 252
1997 307 0 307
1996 291 0 291
1995 310 0 310
1994 406 0 406
1993 427 0 427
1992 473 0 473
1991 531 0 531
1990 664 5 659
1989 710 0 710
1988 714 7 707
1987 804 0 804
1986 796 11 785
1985 902 0 902
1984 942 6 936
1983 961 0 961
1982 1,065 5 1,060
1981 1,003 0 1,003
1980 1,070 0 1,070
1979 935 0 935
1978 942 6 936
1977 1,073 5 1,068
1976 1,088 7 1,081
1975 1,073 0 1,073
1974 1,075 5 1,070
1973 1,213 7 1,206
1972 1,468 6 1,462
1971 1,740 7 1,733
1970 1,990 7 1,983
1969 2,004 8 1,996
1968 1,948 0 1,948
1967 2,084 8 2,076
1966 2,197 10 2,187
1965 2,600 10 2,590
1964 2,821 14 2,807
1963 2,739 10 2,729
1962 2,574 11 2,563
1961 2,844 10 2,834
1960 2,907 13 2,894
1959 2,753 7 2,746
1958 3,072 5 3,067
1957 3,163 14 3,149
1956 3,285 10 3,275
1955 3,314 13 3,301
1954 3,246 5 3,241
1953 3,512 8 3,504
1952 3,557 11 3,546
1951 3,448 7 3,441
1950 3,448 0 3,448
1949 3,547 6 3,541
1948 3,487 0 3,487
1947 3,477 0 3,477
1946 3,049 12 3,037
1945 2,399 11 2,388
1944 2,443 10 2,433
1943 2,362 8 2,354
1942 2,324 5 2,319
1941 2,070 10 2,060
1940 1,692 6 1,686
1939 1,710 6 1,704
1938 1,678 5 1,673
1937 1,592 11 1,581
1936 1,491 9 1,482
1935 1,405 10 1,395
1934 1,353 9 1,344
1933 1,180 6 1,174
1932 1,123 0 1,123
1931 1,008 0 1,008
1930 987 0 987
1929 932 0 932
1928 854 0 854
1927 833 0 833
1926 581 0 581
1925 587 0 587
1924 449 0 449
1923 390 0 390
1922 332 0 332
1921 318 0 318
1920 294 0 294
1919 233 0 233
1918 248 0 248
1917 203 0 203
1916 169 0 169
1915 133 0 133
1914 89 0 89
1913 75 0 75
1912 61 0 61
1911 40 0 40
1910 31 0 31
1909 28 0 28
1908 29 0 29
1907 19 0 19
1906 11 0 11
1905 13 0 13
1904 13 0 13
1903 6 0 6
1902 8 0 8
1901 6 0 6
1900 6 0 6
1899 6 0 6
1898 12 0 12
1896 9 0 9
1895 7 0 7
1892 6 0 6
1888 5 0 5

Top States for Charlene (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
CA 20
38%
TX 13
25%
OH 8
15%
GA 6
12%
FL 5
10%