Charlie Unisex

Popularity: #144 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: CHAR-lee //ˈtʃɑrli//

Origin: English; French

Meaning: English: free man; French: manly

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Charlie is derived from the Old High German name Karl, which means "free man." This name evolved through various linguistic stages, transitioning from Karl in German to Carolus in Latin, and eventually to Charles in Old French. The name made its way into English during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, where it became widely adopted in various forms, including Charlie as a diminutive or affectionate variant of Charles.

Historically, the name Charles has been borne by numerous significant figures, including Charlemagne (Charles the Great), who was crowned Emperor of the Romans in 800 AD and is a pivotal figure in European history. The name also appears in the Bible, notably in the form of Charles as a reference to various kings and saints.

The name gained further prominence with the reign of Charles I of England in the 17th century, whose tumultuous rule and eventual execution marked a significant turning point in British history. Culturally, the name Charlie has been associated with qualities such as strength and leadership, reflecting its roots in the concept of freedom.

It has also been embraced in literature and popular culture, often symbolizing a friendly or approachable character. The diminutive form Charlie has become a common and endearing variant, frequently used in both formal and informal contexts.

This adaptability has allowed the name to maintain its relevance across generations, resonating with various cultural narratives and traditions.

Famous people named Charlie

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

We also feature individuals named Charlie 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.

Charlie Chaplin is an actor and filmmaker best known for The Kid, City Lights, and Modern Times.

Charlie Sheen is an actor best known for Two and a Half Men, Platoon, and Wall Street.

Charlie Puth is a singer and songwriter best known for See You Again, Attention, and We Don't Talk Anymore.

Charlie Brown is a fictional character best known as the protagonist of the Peanuts comic strip created by Charles M. Schulz.

Charlie Day is an actor and comedian best known for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Pacific Rim, and Horrible Bosses.

Charlie Hunnam is an actor best known for Sons of Anarchy, Pacific Rim, and The Lost City of Z.

Charlie Cox is an actor best known for Daredevil, The Theory of Everything, and Stardust.

Charlie Baker is a businessman and former U.S. President of the Massachusetts Senate best known for his role in the state's government.

Fictional characters named Charlie

The following list of fictional characters named Charlie 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.

Charlie Brown is a fictional character from the comic strip Peanuts. He is the lovable but perpetually anxious leader of a group of children, often facing various challenges and disappointments in life.

Charlie Kelly is a fictional character from the TV show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He is a dim-witted but endearing member of the gang, known for his childlike behavior and love for rats and the waitress.

Charlie Bucket is a fictional character from the book and film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He is a poor boy who wins a tour of Willy Wonka's magical chocolate factory, showcasing his kindness and humility throughout the story.

Sibling suggestions

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

OliverHenryJackJamesLucyEllaGrace

Similar names

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

CarlCharlesChaseCarterCalebCodyColeCameron

U.S. Historical Usage

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

Charlie has ranked as high as #122 nationally, which occurred in 2025, and has been most popular in Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, Alabama, and California.

In the past 5 years the name Charlie has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Charlie 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 Charlie 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 Charlie.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 4,620 2,460 2,160
2024 4,207 2,094 2,113
2023 4,349 2,104 2,245
2022 4,451 2,110 2,341
2021 4,232 2,009 2,223
2020 4,111 1,872 2,239
2019 3,919 1,832 2,087
2018 3,581 1,730 1,851
2017 3,706 1,793 1,913
2016 3,478 1,711 1,767
2015 3,236 1,674 1,562
2014 3,135 1,696 1,439
2013 2,892 1,565 1,327
2012 2,582 1,537 1,045
2011 2,377 1,521 856
2010 2,103 1,431 672
2009 1,745 1,255 490
2008 1,496 1,090 406
2007 1,323 956 367
2006 1,286 931 355
2005 1,191 934 257
2004 1,035 812 223
2003 884 709 175
2002 769 599 170
2001 691 553 138
2000 657 528 129
1999 684 548 136
1998 627 495 132
1997 605 470 135
1996 596 459 137
1995 628 510 118
1994 559 448 111
1993 545 441 104
1992 579 487 92
1991 649 518 131
1990 657 537 120
1989 608 522 86
1988 623 502 121
1987 642 533 109
1986 644 536 108
1985 628 549 79
1984 615 541 74
1983 597 554 43
1982 574 517 57
1981 676 615 61
1980 667 596 71
1979 768 697 71
1978 721 659 62
1977 689 608 81
1976 625 566 59
1975 590 565 25
1974 572 553 19
1973 632 612 20
1972 651 641 10
1971 708 696 12
1970 789 768 21
1969 794 770 24
1968 765 740 25
1967 836 804 32
1966 867 836 31
1965 992 964 28
1964 1,103 1,070 33
1963 1,206 1,163 43
1962 1,264 1,223 41
1961 1,268 1,224 44
1960 1,292 1,247 45
1959 1,466 1,415 51
1958 1,483 1,428 55
1957 1,525 1,453 72
1956 1,602 1,528 74
1955 1,508 1,437 71
1954 1,543 1,460 83
1953 1,614 1,534 80
1952 1,746 1,663 83
1951 1,788 1,686 102
1950 1,780 1,678 102
1949 1,948 1,833 115
1948 2,015 1,902 113
1947 2,031 1,914 117
1946 1,900 1,787 113
1945 1,836 1,725 111
1944 2,012 1,881 131
1943 1,983 1,835 148
1942 1,987 1,869 118
1941 1,867 1,756 111
1940 1,896 1,762 134
1939 1,884 1,748 136
1938 1,941 1,801 140
1937 1,918 1,757 161
1936 1,967 1,837 130
1935 2,054 1,926 128
1934 2,027 1,892 135
1933 2,139 1,978 161
1932 2,287 2,127 160
1931 2,136 1,975 161
1930 2,292 2,113 179
1929 2,370 2,185 185
1928 2,651 2,463 188
1927 2,713 2,512 201
1926 2,646 2,446 200
1925 2,760 2,578 182
1924 2,682 2,507 175
1923 2,654 2,471 183
1922 2,836 2,655 181
1921 2,713 2,574 139
1920 2,982 2,785 197
1919 3,090 2,891 199
1918 2,921 2,743 178
1917 2,687 2,536 151
1916 2,535 2,416 119
1915 2,319 2,193 126
1914 2,007 1,906 101
1913 1,694 1,618 76
1912 1,525 1,446 79
1911 1,022 978 44
1910 1,172 1,107 65
1909 872 833 39
1908 783 740 43
1907 836 793 43
1906 772 744 28
1905 840 801 39
1904 767 739 28
1903 776 739 37
1902 796 761 35
1901 682 654 28
1900 1,151 1,124 27
1899 711 678 33
1898 751 728 23
1897 737 714 23
1896 728 714 14
1895 784 767 17
1894 721 704 17
1893 701 691 10
1892 780 761 19
1891 723 707 16
1890 809 797 12
1889 696 685 11
1888 809 796 13
1887 653 642 11
1886 734 723 11
1885 714 705 9
1884 753 746 7
1883 653 643 10
1882 759 753 6
1881 673 668 5
1880 730 730 0

Top States for Charlie (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 362
9%
TX 334
8%
NY 238
6%
FL 177
4%
NC 156
4%
GA 149
4%
OH 148
4%
IL 139
3%
WA 136
3%
MI 133
3%
TN 132
3%
PA 130
3%
IN 112
3%
WI 103
2%
CO 102
2%
UT 95
2%
MO 92
2%
MN 87
2%
AL 87
2%
MA 87
2%
NJ 85
2%
VA 81
2%
AZ 78
2%
IA 77
2%
OK 71
2%
KY 69
2%
MD 64
2%
LA 63
2%
SC 58
1%
OR 55
1%
AR 45
1%
KS 41
1%
CT 40
1%
ID 38
1%
MS 34
1%
NE 32
1%
MT 28
1%
NV 27
1%
NH 26
1%
ME 25
1%
ND 22
1%
WV 21
1%
SD 19
0%
WY 14
0%
HI 14
0%
DC 11
0%
VT 11
0%
RI 8
0%
NM 8
0%
AK 6
0%
DE 6
0%