Charles
#9,457 for girls in 2025, 10 births · #48 for boys in 2025, 5,898 births
Given to boys 99.5% of the time
Showing
- Peak · boys
- 1880 · 5,348 births
- Debut · boys
- 5,348 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 146 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 2,434,659since 1880
Charles over time
boys
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #9,457 | 10 | #48 | 5,898 |
| 2024 | #11,122 | 8 | #51 | 5,613 |
| 2023 | #10,312 | 9 | #54 | 5,421 |
| 2022 | #10,383 | 9 | #50 | 5,934 |
| 2021 | #15,251 | 5 | #50 | 6,010 |
| 2020 | #7,969 | 13 | #46 | 6,249 |
| 2019 | #10,473 | 9 | #52 | 6,406 |
| 2018 | #8,146 | 13 | #53 | 6,667 |
| 2017 | #8,776 | 12 | #48 | 7,193 |
| 2016 | #6,901 | 17 | #52 | 7,127 |
| 2015 | #10,866 | 9 | #50 | 7,204 |
| 2014 | #7,636 | 15 | #51 | 7,362 |
| 2013 | #7,748 | 15 | #57 | 7,025 |
| 2012 | #7,804 | 15 | #62 | 6,947 |
| 2011 | #11,181 | 9 | #61 | 6,987 |
| 2010 | #12,276 | 8 | #63 | 7,106 |
| 2009 | — | #64 | 7,284 | |
| 2008 | #6,799 | 19 | #63 | 7,288 |
| 2007 | #9,539 | 12 | #62 | 7,452 |
| 2006 | #8,237 | 14 | #60 | 8,013 |
| 2005 | #7,138 | 16 | #56 | 7,933 |
| 2004 | #2,927 | 54 | #56 | 7,652 |
| 2003 | #11,325 | 8 | #57 | 7,696 |
| 2002 | #12,187 | 7 | #58 | 7,208 |
| 2001 | #6,322 | 17 | #55 | 7,283 |
| 2000 | #7,158 | 14 | #51 | 7,525 |
| 1999 | #8,223 | 11 | #50 | 7,525 |
| 1998 | #8,016 | 11 | #48 | 7,849 |
| 1997 | #6,163 | 15 | #49 | 7,656 |
| 1996 | #5,065 | 19 | #43 | 8,248 |
| 1995 | #4,518 | 22 | #44 | 8,478 |
| 1994 | #5,016 | 19 | #43 | 9,018 |
| 1993 | #3,776 | 28 | #44 | 9,855 |
| 1992 | #3,419 | 32 | #43 | 10,469 |
| 1991 | #3,207 | 34 | #38 | 11,336 |
| 1990 | #2,737 | 42 | #38 | 12,000 |
| 1989 | #2,072 | 60 | #36 | 12,245 |
| 1988 | #1,491 | 91 | #37 | 12,109 |
| 1987 | #1,545 | 82 | #35 | 12,173 |
| 1986 | #1,472 | 85 | #34 | 12,625 |
| 1985 | #1,269 | 106 | #34 | 12,900 |
| 1984 | #1,179 | 112 | #33 | 12,942 |
| 1983 | #1,114 | 121 | #33 | 13,212 |
| 1982 | #1,131 | 124 | #31 | 14,310 |
| 1981 | #1,261 | 102 | #31 | 14,427 |
| 1980 | #1,161 | 116 | #29 | 14,959 |
| 1979 | #1,061 | 130 | #28 | 14,806 |
| 1978 | #1,104 | 118 | #27 | 14,844 |
| 1977 | #1,315 | 88 | #26 | 14,743 |
| 1976 | #1,122 | 106 | #26 | 13,921 |
| 1975 | #963 | 129 | #25 | 14,574 |
| 1974 | #1,133 | 102 | #23 | 15,151 |
| 1973 | #1,009 | 117 | #23 | 15,752 |
| 1972 | #982 | 122 | #23 | 16,968 |
| 1971 | #903 | 146 | #22 | 19,851 |
| 1970 | #891 | 148 | #21 | 22,411 |
| 1969 | #912 | 135 | #19 | 21,658 |
| 1968 | #906 | 130 | #20 | 21,575 |
| 1967 | #926 | 122 | #20 | 21,288 |
| 1966 | #874 | 131 | #20 | 22,252 |
| 1965 | #870 | 132 | #20 | 23,494 |
| 1964 | #920 | 129 | #17 | 25,908 |
| 1963 | #898 | 136 | #16 | 26,762 |
| 1962 | #960 | 122 | #15 | 27,590 |
| 1961 | #987 | 120 | #13 | 29,194 |
| 1960 | #926 | 132 | #13 | 29,677 |
| 1959 | #837 | 150 | #11 | 30,797 |
| 1958 | #900 | 129 | #11 | 32,242 |
| 1957 | #821 | 152 | #11 | 34,283 |
| 1956 | #792 | 156 | #11 | 35,239 |
| 1955 | #788 | 148 | #11 | 35,365 |
| 1954 | #838 | 126 | #10 | 37,463 |
| 1953 | #779 | 138 | #9 | 38,421 |
| 1952 | #831 | 121 | #9 | 38,866 |
| 1951 | #710 | 151 | #9 | 39,406 |
| 1950 | #693 | 154 | #9 | 39,095 |
| 1949 | #708 | 143 | #9 | 40,052 |
| 1948 | #679 | 150 | #9 | 38,676 |
| 1947 | #725 | 138 | #9 | 40,781 |
| 1946 | #695 | 134 | #9 | 38,215 |
| 1945 | #658 | 125 | #7 | 32,469 |
| 1944 | #615 | 142 | #7 | 34,662 |
| 1943 | #571 | 176 | #7 | 36,632 |
| 1942 | #579 | 163 | #7 | 35,854 |
| 1941 | #563 | 155 | #6 | 32,742 |
| 1940 | #588 | 140 | #6 | 31,689 |
| 1939 | #548 | 149 | #6 | 30,789 |
| 1938 | #570 | 144 | #6 | 31,151 |
| 1937 | #496 | 176 | #6 | 30,520 |
| 1936 | #567 | 133 | #6 | 29,101 |
| 1935 | #528 | 149 | #6 | 29,983 |
| 1934 | #496 | 168 | #7 | 29,790 |
| 1933 | #446 | 209 | #6 | 28,991 |
| 1932 | #468 | 197 | #6 | 31,092 |
| 1931 | #443 | 212 | #6 | 29,934 |
| 1930 | #436 | 237 | #6 | 31,867 |
| 1929 | #408 | 262 | #5 | 29,930 |
| 1928 | #412 | 271 | #5 | 31,243 |
| 1927 | #395 | 303 | #5 | 31,941 |
| 1926 | #451 | 225 | #5 | 29,521 |
| 1925 | #470 | 216 | #5 | 29,580 |
| 1924 | #526 | 186 | #5 | 30,460 |
| 1923 | #570 | 159 | #5 | 28,966 |
| 1922 | #488 | 199 | #5 | 28,839 |
| 1921 | #539 | 176 | #5 | 29,242 |
| 1920 | #564 | 163 | #5 | 28,309 |
| 1919 | #616 | 129 | #5 | 25,192 |
| 1918 | #592 | 144 | #5 | 26,921 |
| 1917 | #612 | 124 | #7 | 24,143 |
| 1916 | #606 | 123 | #6 | 23,612 |
| 1915 | #658 | 101 | #7 | 21,960 |
| 1914 | #671 | 75 | #7 | 16,937 |
| 1913 | #748 | 49 | #7 | 13,191 |
| 1912 | #596 | 67 | #7 | 11,070 |
| 1911 | #686 | 40 | #7 | 5,725 |
| 1910 | #753 | 32 | #7 | 4,784 |
| 1909 | #747 | 29 | #7 | 4,029 |
| 1908 | #709 | 30 | #7 | 3,929 |
| 1907 | #840 | 20 | #6 | 3,884 |
| 1906 | #742 | 24 | #6 | 3,607 |
| 1905 | #777 | 22 | #5 | 3,608 |
| 1904 | #710 | 24 | #6 | 3,406 |
| 1903 | #789 | 19 | #5 | 3,213 |
| 1902 | #667 | 25 | #5 | 3,361 |
| 1901 | #659 | 23 | #5 | 3,049 |
| 1900 | #676 | 28 | #5 | 4,098 |
| 1899 | #644 | 23 | #5 | 3,147 |
| 1898 | #768 | 19 | #5 | 3,557 |
| 1897 | #699 | 20 | #5 | 3,341 |
| 1896 | #1,047 | 10 | #5 | 3,639 |
| 1895 | #578 | 27 | #5 | 3,633 |
| 1894 | #568 | 26 | #5 | 3,788 |
| 1893 | #594 | 23 | #5 | 3,723 |
| 1892 | #503 | 29 | #5 | 4,319 |
| 1891 | #475 | 29 | #5 | 3,640 |
| 1890 | #475 | 30 | #5 | 4,061 |
| 1889 | #468 | 28 | #5 | 4,199 |
| 1888 | #470 | 28 | #5 | 4,591 |
| 1887 | #372 | 33 | #5 | 4,031 |
| 1886 | #459 | 22 | #5 | 4,533 |
| 1885 | #428 | 24 | #5 | 4,599 |
| 1884 | #463 | 19 | #5 | 4,802 |
| 1883 | #451 | 18 | #4 | 4,826 |
| 1882 | #372 | 23 | #5 | 5,091 |
| 1881 | #405 | 17 | #5 | 4,636 |
| 1880 | #518 | 11 | #4 | 5,348 |
First appearance
1880
In the first year the SSA published name data, Charles was already there! It came in at #4, and was given to 5,348 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1889–1909, when fewer than 4,400 boys a year got the name.
Where Charles is popular in 1972
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · boys
- Mississippi#8 · 1 in 57
- West Virginia#9 · 1 in 47
- North Carolina#9 · 1 in 59
- Delaware#10 · 1 in 49
- Kentucky#10 · 1 in 51
Best ever in a state: #2 in Vermont, 1910.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | #8 | 347 | 1 in 57 |
| North Carolina | #9 | 701 | 1 in 59 |
| West Virginia | #9 | 294 | 1 in 47 |
| Alabama | #10 | 452 | 1 in 61 |
| Delaware | #10 | 75 | 1 in 49 |
| Georgia | #10 | 677 | 1 in 60 |
| Kentucky | #10 | 519 | 1 in 51 |
| South Carolina | #10 | 400 | 1 in 54 |
| Virginia | #10 | 571 | 1 in 58 |
| Arkansas | #11 | 248 | 1 in 60 |
| Tennessee | #11 | 557 | 1 in 58 |
| Louisiana | #12 | 440 | 1 in 71 |
| Oklahoma | #12 | 271 | 1 in 70 |
| Florida | #13 | 683 | 1 in 74 |
| Maryland | #13 | 392 | 1 in 60 |
| District of Columbia | #14 | 139 | 1 in 67 |
| Texas | #16 | 1,115 | 1 in 95 |
| Nevada | #20 | 44 | 1 in 77 |
| Missouri | #21 | 422 | 1 in 83 |
| Alaska | #22 | 33 | 1 in 82 |
| Ohio | #22 | 984 | 1 in 83 |
| Illinois | #23 | 777 | 1 in 106 |
| Kansas | #23 | 140 | 1 in 102 |
| New Mexico | #23 | 76 | 1 in 116 |
| Pennsylvania | #23 | 905 | 1 in 87 |
| Hawaii | #24 | 64 | 1 in 94 |
| Indiana | #24 | 477 | 1 in 87 |
| New Jersey | #24 | 462 | 1 in 99 |
| Arizona | #25 | 142 | 1 in 119 |
| Michigan | #26 | 676 | 1 in 102 |
| New York | #27 | 1,024 | 1 in 119 |
| Colorado | #28 | 155 | 1 in 117 |
| Vermont | #28 | 34 | 1 in 88 |
| California | #29 | 1,076 | 1 in 140 |
| Maine | #29 | 73 | 1 in 100 |
| Wyoming | #32 | 19 | 1 in 114 |
| Rhode Island | #33 | 50 | 1 in 121 |
| Washington | #33 | 169 | 1 in 129 |
| Connecticut | #34 | 132 | 1 in 135 |
| Montana | #34 | 33 | 1 in 141 |
| South Dakota | #35 | 34 | 1 in 131 |
| Massachusetts | #37 | 279 | 1 in 135 |
| Iowa | #38 | 110 | 1 in 174 |
| Minnesota | #38 | 169 | 1 in 158 |
| Nebraska | #38 | 76 | 1 in 142 |
| Oregon | #38 | 100 | 1 in 145 |
| Idaho | #39 | 37 | 1 in 158 |
| Wisconsin | #39 | 183 | 1 in 166 |
| New Hampshire | #42 | 35 | 1 in 147 |
| North Dakota | #43 | 28 | 1 in 165 |
| Utah | #44 | 69 | 1 in 176 |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Charles
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
- 3 spots since 2024 (#51 → #48)
- 2 spots since 2020 (#46 → #48)
- 2 spots since 2015 (#50 → #48)
- Biggest jump: 6 spots in 2014 (#57 → #51)
- Biggest drop: 6 spots in 1997 (#43 → #49)
Rise & fade · boys
Peaked on debut
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1880 at #4 (5,348 births)
- Not yet halved from its peak
Top of the charts · boys
Top 10 for 75 yrs
- Top 10: 75 yrs · run 1880–1954
- Top 100: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
- Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 21
- Highest: 1 in 21 boys born in 1880 were named Charles (4.8%)
- Latest: 1 in 290 boys born in 2025 (0.35%)
Era · boys
The 1940s
- 14.9% of all boys named Charles (361,772) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 46,656 | #4 (1880) | #5 |
| 1890s | 36,848 | #5 (1892) | #5 |
| 1900s | 36,184 | #5 (1900) | #6 |
| 1910s | 173,535 | #5 (1918) | #7 |
| 1920s | 298,031 | #5 (1927) | #5 |
| 1930s | 303,218 | #6 (1930) | #6 |
| 1940s | 361,772 | #6 (1941) | #8 |
| 1950s | 361,177 | #9 (1951) | #10 |
| 1960s | 249,398 | #13 (1960) | #17 |
| 1970s | 163,021 | #21 (1970) | #24 |
| 1980s | 131,902 | #29 (1980) | #33 |
| 1990s | 92,434 | #38 (1990) | #44 |
| 2000s | 75,334 | #51 (2000) | #58 |
| 2010s | 70,024 | #48 (2017) | #55 |
| 2020s | 35,125 | #46 (2020) | #50 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Charles in 1972
girls
#982
122 births · 1 in 12,469 girls
boys
#23
16,968 births · 1 in 96 boys
Top girls' names in 1972
Top boys' names in 1972
More about 1972
girls
1,521,244 girls got a published name in 1972; 1 in 12,469 of them was named Charles, which outranked 89.8% of the 9,666 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.6% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Charles
- #979Julianna123
- #979Kori123
- #979Stephany123
- #982Charles122
- #982Bettina122
- #982Charisse122
- #982Cherise122
- #988Agnes121
- #988Dione121
- #988Marybeth121
Tied with 5 names at #982; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Biggest movers since 1971
Risers
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,621,608 boys got a published name in 1972; 1 in 96 of them was named Charles, which outranked 99.6% of the 5,751 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 26.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Charles
Biggest movers since 1971
Risers
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.