Charlie Name Meaning

The name Charlie is derived from the name Charalampos, which means “shining light”. This is fitting, as Charlie is often seen as a bright, cheerful, and energetic name. It is also seen as a symbol of hope and optimism, and is thus often used as a name for a new baby boy.

Origins of the Name Charlie

The name Charlie has its roots in ancient Greece, where it was used as a nickname for the name Charalampos. This was sometimes shortened to “Lampos” and then further shortened to “Lamp”, which eventually became “Charlie”. This name was popular in the 18th century, when it was used in England, Scotland, and Ireland. In the 19th century, the name became popular in the United States, where it has been used ever since.

Popularity of the Name Charlie

Charlie has been a popular name in the United States for decades. In fact, it has been in the top 100 boys’ names since the Social Security Administration started keeping records in 1880. It has been in the top 10 since the early 2000s, and has been in the top 5 since 2016. It is currently the fourth most popular boys’ name in the United States.

Final Thoughts on the Name Charlie

Charlie is a beloved name with a long history. It has its roots in ancient Greece and has been popular in the United States for centuries. With its cheerful and optimistic connotations, it’s no wonder why it is so beloved. It is currently the fourth most popular boys’ name in the United States, and is sure to remain a favorite for years to come.

Infographic of Charlie name meaning, which is A shortened form of Charles, Charlie is an English name meaning free man.
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Charlie Name Popularity

How popular is the name Charlie? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 33 1,073 0.3048%
1911 45 943 0.2532%
1912 60 1,413 0.2802%
1913 63 1,566 0.2762%
1914 65 1,867 0.2679%
1915 76 2,143 0.2359%
1916 70 2,386 0.247%
1917 67 2,500 0.2499%
1918 72 2,701 0.2517%
1919 67 2,856 0.2727%
1920 70 2,747 0.2471%
1921 76 2,553 0.223%
1922 72 2,616 0.2348%
1923 81 2,439 0.2178%
1924 80 2,461 0.2119%
1925 81 2,544 0.2251%
1926 82 2,413 0.2194%
1927 82 2,475 0.2236%
1928 81 2,418 0.226%
1929 87 2,152 0.2078%
1930 91 2,080 0.1991%
1931 94 1,937 0.1963%
1932 92 2,081 0.2106%
1933 95 1,938 0.208%
1934 100 1,856 0.192%
1935 101 1,898 0.1953%
1936 103 1,809 0.1878%
1937 110 1,717 0.1742%
1938 112 1,762 0.1721%
1939 112 1,708 0.1679%
1940 111 1,742 0.1639%
1941 116 1,708 0.1518%
1942 118 1,827 0.1447%
1943 122 1,803 0.1381%
1944 120 1,850 0.1493%
1945 128 1,685 0.1382%
1946 136 1,748 0.1185%
1947 145 1,879 0.1126%
1948 144 1,861 0.1166%
1949 145 1,799 0.1118%
1950 151 1,650 0.1025%
1951 154 1,650 0.0973%
1952 161 1,634 0.0936%
1953 175 1,507 0.0851%
1954 182 1,422 0.0778%
1955 184 1,409 0.0766%
1956 185 1,497 0.0793%
1957 193 1,418 0.0737%
1958 196 1,403 0.0742%
1959 204 1,388 0.0731%
1960 224 1,210 0.0639%
1961 224 1,199 0.0635%
1962 220 1,193 0.065%
1963 221 1,138 0.0634%
1964 229 1,038 0.059%
1965 235 940 0.0575%
1966 247 808 0.0518%
1967 253 760 0.0501%
1968 269 706 0.047%
1969 267 745 0.0484%
1970 276 736 0.0462%
1971 292 655 0.0436%
1972 288 602 0.0442%
1973 296 577 0.0445%
1974 323 510 0.0392%
1975 323 520 0.0405%
1976 310 534 0.0414%
1977 310 570 0.0423%
1978 290 629 0.0468%
1979 293 662 0.0469%
1980 321 562 0.0384%
1981 309 579 0.0394%
1982 358 462 0.0309%
1983 336 508 0.0344%
1984 346 498 0.0335%
1985 343 508 0.0335%
1986 361 482 0.0319%
1987 374 476 0.0312%
1988 399 457 0.0293%
1989 399 496 0.0307%
1990 426 478 0.0288%
1991 442 460 0.0282%
1992 452 445 0.0279%
1993 491 383 0.0246%
1994 480 408 0.0266%
1995 454 459 0.0305%
1996 488 398 0.0266%
1997 465 431 0.0291%
1998 469 430 0.0287%
1999 426 509 0.034%
2000 455 487 0.0319%
2001 442 512 0.034%
2002 419 553 0.0369%
2003 369 674 0.0443%
2004 347 783 0.0514%
2005 329 904 0.0591%
2006 336 908 0.058%
2007 335 929 0.0589%
2008 307 1,060 0.0686%
2009 272 1,236 0.0827%
2010 246 1,412 0.098%
2011 234 1,500 0.1053%
2012 231 1,515 0.1063%
2013 230 1,541 0.1082%
2014 222 1,674 0.1149%
2015 227 1,652 0.1135%
2016 226 1,688 0.1171%
2017 212 1,764 0.1264%
2018 215 1,707 0.1242%
2019 209 1,806 0.1334%
2020 208 1,771 0.1391%
2021 188 1,983 0.1622%

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Charlie

If you like Charlie, you’ll love these other names like Charlie.

What names are variants of Charlie?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Charlie.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Charly

Free man

German

What names sound like Charlie?

If you like how Charlie sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Charlie.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Charley

Free man

German

Sherill

English

Sherrill

English

Lists With Charlie

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Charlie.

Siblings of Charlie

Mamas with kids named Charlie also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Noah

To rest

Hebrew

Aliya

Rising, ascending

Hebrew

Kylie

Boomerang

Aboriginal

Ryann

King

Irish

Ezra

Help

Hebrew

Isabella

Devoted to God

Italian

Brielle

God is my strength

French

Hallie

A variant spelling of Hally.

Scandinavian

Josef

Jehovah increases

Hebrew

Taylor

Tailor; to cut

French

Reece

Enthusiasm

Welsh

Grace

Gracious one

English

Faith

Devotion

English

Elizabeth

God is my oath

Hebrew

William

A willing protector

German

Marie

A French form of Mary.

French

Joy

Happiness

Latin

Jordyn

To descend

Hebrew

Jubilee

Ram's horn

Hebrew

David

Beloved

Hebrew

Robert

Bright fame

German

Diesel

Diminutive form of Matthias or Dietrich

German

Michael

Who is Like God?

Hebrew

21 Comments

  2. I decided to name my son charlie because that’s my dad’s name and my dad’s grandpa’s name. I love the name charlie because to me.its has a cute tune to it. If you want to make your son charlie do it I promise you won’t regret it if you do 🙂

    Reply

  3. We chose the name Charlie Wayne in memory of my husbands uncle who had never got to meet; his name was Charles but he went by Charlie. I being more of an informal person chose to name our son Charlie and not Charles and that is one thing I will say I don’t like about it is that people automatically think his name is Charles and I have to correct them. Other than that his name is perfect. We chose Wayne for the second name since that is his daddy’s middle name.

    Reply

  4. Family name

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  5. We liked the name Charles but didn’t want the nickname Chuck. So we went with Charlie. I also like Charlie for a girl so it worked for if we had a boy or girl.

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  6. Classic

    Reply

  7. Charlie is named after his late father Charles Silas Llewellyn IV. Charlie’s full name is Charles Silas Llewellyn V

    Reply

  8. Family name and we thought it was a sweet name.

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  9. I have 2 older children 10&20 so I left it up to them to choose a name and charlie they chose ?

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  10. My other children chose the name

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  11. The night my partner and I met, there was a guy at the bar we were at who thought we were high school sweethearts (We’re not! We had literally just met) and was asking us how we’d stayed together so long, what was our secret, etc… And my (now) partner was like, “it’s all about commitment, honesty, compassion…” and I was “like, ummm, yeah!” and that is basically why I decided to get his number and start dating him! (Not because we were easily able to lie to someone together about being high school sweethearts, ha!, but because of what he said is important in a relationship!) … that guy’s name was Charles! So our baby is named after a random guy at a bar … who helped bring his mama and daddy together!

    Reply

  12. Family name

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  13. Charlie is named after his grandpa

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  14. My sons full name is Steven Charles Hansen, we call him Charlie. He is named after his dad & grandpa on dad’s side, they’re both named Steven. Both of his great grandpas were named Charles but went by Charlie, hence his nick name. The 2nd reason we call him Charlie is because there are 3 Stevens on his dad side(including him), the only one actually called steven is his grandpa, his dad goes by his middle name too.

    Reply

  15. His name was picked becausehe was my first boy and I couldn’t think of a better name for him. His name is a family name and he def lives up to it.

    Reply

  16. My husband’s middle name is Charles. We wanted our baby’s gender to be a surprise until birthing day, so we started calling our baby “Charlie” – a name that could work either way!

    Reply

  17. I really liked the name for a long time, working in childcare my name choices were limited as some names are too popular.

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  18. Absolutely love the name!! Charles is formal and regal. Charlie is so sweet and playful.

    Reply

  19. named after a great-grandfather

    Reply

  20. Our son’s name is Charles but we call him Charlie. Charles was my husband’s grandfather’s name and my grandfather’s middle name but we really just liked the name. Its not super common but not too obscure either.

    Reply

  21. Charles was my husband’s dad’s name. He passed away from cancer. We thought the name Charlie would honor him well. I like the name because it’s simple, easy to spell and classic.

    Reply

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