Charles Boy
How popular is Charles?
#48 boy name in 2025
5,898 baby boys were named Charles in the US in 2025, making it the 48th most popular boy name. Another 10 girls got the name (#9,454 for girls).
1,228,648living people named Charles (est.)
60median age of people named Charles
2,447,135babies named Charles since 1880
1 in 561US babies born in 2025
Charles popularity over time
Boys Girls
| Rank in 2025 | #48 for boys (▲ 3 from 2024) |
|---|---|
| Babies in 2025 | 5,898 boys, 10 girls |
| 10-year trend | Falling (-18% babies vs 2015) |
| Earlier ranks | #50 in 2015, #46 in 2020 |
| Peak year | 1947 (40,781 boys) |
| Highest rank | #4 in 1880 (2 years at that rank) |
| First recorded | 1880 |
| Boys vs girls (last 10 years) | 100% boys, 0% girls |
| Chance a classmate shares it | 4% in a class of 25 kids born in 2025 |
Where Charles is most popular
Babies named Charles per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021 to 2025. Darker means more common.
AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
- District of Columbia: 13.1 per 1,000 (194 boys)
- Vermont: 11.8 per 1,000 (74 boys)
- New Hampshire: 8.9 per 1,000 (197 boys)
- Maine: 8.1 per 1,000 (158 boys)
- Massachusetts: 7.6 per 1,000 (1,045 boys)
Charles by decade
| Decade | Baby boys | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 46,656 | #4 |
| 1890s | 36,848 | #5 |
| 1900s | 36,184 | #5 |
| 1910s | 173,535 | #5 |
| 1920s | 298,031 | #5 |
| 1930s | 303,218 | #6 |
| 1940s | 361,772 | #6 |
| 1950s | 361,177 | #9 |
| 1960s | 249,398 | #13 |
| 1970s | 163,021 | #21 |
| 1980s | 131,902 | #29 |
| 1990s | 92,434 | #38 |
| 2000s | 75,334 | #51 |
| 2010s | 70,024 | #48 |
| 2020s | 35,125 | #46 |
Boy names about as popular as Charles
Questions
- Is Charles a boy or girl name?
- Charles is mostly a boy name. Over the last 10 years, 100% of babies named Charles were boys.
- How popular is the name Charles?
- 5,898 baby boys were named Charles in the US in 2025, making it the 48th most popular boy name. Another 10 girls got the name (#9,454 for girls).
- When was Charles most popular?
- Charles peaked in 1947, when 40,781 boys were given the name. Its highest rank was #4, held for 2 years starting in 1880.
- How many people are named Charles?
- 2,447,135 babies have been named Charles in the US since 1880. We estimate about 1,228,648 of them are alive in 2026, with a median age of 60.
- Where is Charles most popular?
- From 2021 to 2025, Charles was most common in District of Columbia, at 13.1 of every 1,000 boys born there.
Source: Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880 to 2025 (names given to at least 5 babies of a sex in a year). Living-people and median-age figures are our estimates using US life tables. How we calculate.