Meaning not yet researched.
Charles: US boys given the name each year, 1880 to 2025, from Social Security card applications. 5,898 in 2025. Its best rank was #4 in 1883.
US births per year · SSA card applications
Peaked at #4 in 1883; #48 in 2025. About 99.8% of babies named Charles in 2025 were boys.
Baby name · US data 1880–2025
#48 for US boys in 2025. Its best year was 1883, at #4.
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys for any year. Years with fewer than five babies of a sex are not published by SSA and show as zero.
Charles: US boys given the name each year from 1880 to 2025. 5,898 boys in 2025. Peak: #4 in 1883 · most boys in one year: 40,781 (1947).
In 2025, 5,898 US boys were named Charles, making it the 48th most common boys’ name of the year, up 3 places from #51 in 2024. That is 285 more than the 5,613 boys named Charles in 2024. Its best rank for boys was #4, reached in 1883. The most boys given the name in a single year was 40,781, in 1947. For comparison, it was #50 in 2015 and #9 in 1950.
Social Security card records list Charles in every one of the 146 years from 1880 to 2025; in 1880 there were 5,359 babies with the name. In all, 2,447,135 US babies have been given the name, 0.5% of them girls and 99% boys. Its busiest decade was the 1940s, with 363,238 babies named Charles.
Over the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, 62,518 US boys were named Charles; the busiest of those years was 2017, with 7,193. In 2025 that was about 1 in 290 of the boys in SSA’s list for the year.
Among the states, Charles ranked highest in District of Columbia in 2025, at #7 for boys there. It was in the top 100 in 48 states (counting DC). Related spellings in the SSA files include Carl (508,017 babies since 1880), Carlos (309,076 babies since 1880), Charlie (224,639 babies since 1880) and Karl (101,751 babies since 1880). Rarer spellings such as Karel, Charlyne and Karlo are summarised on this page. The open nickname list we use links it to Carl, Charlie, Chick and Chuck.
Meaning not yet researched.
We publish a meaning only with a cited source and a confidence label, and never generate one. Meanings are being researched for the most common names first.
Rare spellings summarised here: Karel (1,814), Charlyne (1,132), Karlo (1,061), Charlise (867), Carles (686), Charlese (479), Carel (226), Charlies (181), Charlis (124), Charlyse (55), Charlas (15), Carolus (10), and more.
Numbers are all-time US births. Links come from Wikidata’s “said to be the same as” (P460, CC0) and our spelling rule: at most two letters different, with the same sound pattern.
Charles is listed as a nickname for Charlie.
Source: carltonnorthern/nicknames (Apache-2.0).
US boys. Rank within each state. SSA leaves out states where fewer than five boys got the name, so every state is listed.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank 2025 | Rank 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 34 | #7 | #10 |
| Alaska | 28 | #12 | #35 |
| Vermont | 16 | #16 | #52 |
| Alabama | 129 | #17 | #17 |
| Maine | 35 | #18 | #42 |
| Massachusetts | 200 | #19 | #28 |
| New Hampshire | 43 | #20 | #35 |
| Georgia | 236 | #22 | #36 |
| Virginia | 205 | #23 | #42 |
| Connecticut | 91 | #25 | #59 |
| South Carolina | 115 | #26 | #29 |
| Tennessee | 191 | #27 | #36 |
| Mississippi | 57 | #27 | #31 |
| Minnesota | 128 | #28 | #26 |
| Missouri | 152 | #29 | #28 |
| Kansas | 77 | #30 | #34 |
| Illinois | 239 | #30 | #41 |
| Michigan | 197 | #31 | #58 |
| North Carolina | 237 | #33 | #48 |
| Rhode Island | 21 | #35 | #48 |
| Wisconsin | 113 | #37 | #30 |
| Louisiana | 82 | #38 | #48 |
| Arkansas | 59 | #40 | #58 |
| Colorado | 118 | #40 | #48 |
| New York | 348 | #41 | #52 |
| Ohio | 231 | #41 | #38 |
| Kentucky | 94 | #41 | #32 |
| Indiana | 134 | #45 | #49 |
| Nebraska | 41 | #45 | #47 |
| Maryland | 103 | #47 | #44 |
| Idaho | 39 | #48 | #40 |
| Montana | 21 | #49 | #65 |
| Pennsylvania | 224 | #50 | #58 |
| South Dakota | 19 | #51 | #66 |
| Oregon | 61 | #53 | #48 |
| Utah | 80 | #54 | #36 |
| New Jersey | 157 | #56 | #60 |
| Washington | 119 | #58 | #50 |
| Oklahoma | 64 | #59 | #71 |
| Wyoming | 7 | #64 | #20 |
| North Dakota | 16 | #67 | #181 |
| Iowa | 45 | #73 | #61 |
| Delaware | 13 | #78 | #52 |
| Texas | 478 | #82 | #85 |
| Florida | 243 | #87 | #74 |
| West Virginia | 21 | #87 | #67 |
| Arizona | 85 | #99 | #86 |
| California | 401 | #100 | #89 |
| Hawaii | 9 | #108 | #64 |
| New Mexico | 17 | #116 | #97 |
| Nevada | 25 | #124 | #88 |
Births and national rank for each year SSA lists the name, newest first.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | #9,583 | 5,898 | #48 |
| 2024 | 8 | #11,336 | 5,613 | #51 |
| 2023 | 9 | #10,490 | 5,421 | #54 |
| 2022 | 9 | #10,565 | 5,934 | #50 |
| 2021 | 5 | #15,739 | 6,010 | #50 |
| 2020 | 13 | #8,068 | 6,249 | #46 |
| 2019 | 9 | #10,652 | 6,406 | #52 |
| 2018 | 13 | #8,247 | 6,667 | #53 |
| 2017 | 12 | #8,913 | 7,193 | #48 |
| 2016 | 17 | #6,972 | 7,127 | #52 |
| 2015 | 9 | #11,084 | 7,204 | #50 |
| 2014 | 15 | #7,747 | 7,362 | #51 |
| 2013 | 15 | #7,842 | 7,025 | #57 |
| 2012 | 15 | #7,905 | 6,947 | #62 |
| 2011 | 9 | #11,377 | 6,987 | #61 |
| 2010 | 8 | #12,523 | 7,106 | #63 |
| 2009 | — | — | 7,284 | #64 |
| 2008 | 19 | #6,858 | 7,288 | #63 |
| 2007 | 12 | #9,667 | 7,452 | #62 |
| 2006 | 14 | #8,334 | 8,013 | #60 |
| 2005 | 16 | #7,216 | 7,933 | #56 |
| 2004 | 54 | #2,932 | 7,652 | #56 |
| 2003 | 8 | #11,524 | 7,696 | #57 |
| 2002 | 7 | #12,475 | 7,208 | #58 |
| 2001 | 17 | #6,380 | 7,283 | #55 |
| 2000 | 14 | #7,248 | 7,525 | #51 |
| 1999 | 11 | #8,338 | 7,525 | #50 |
| 1998 | 11 | #8,109 | 7,849 | #48 |
| 1997 | 15 | #6,228 | 7,656 | #49 |
| 1996 | 19 | #5,102 | 8,248 | #43 |
| 1995 | 22 | #4,553 | 8,478 | #44 |
| 1994 | 19 | #5,058 | 9,018 | #43 |
| 1993 | 28 | #3,793 | 9,855 | #44 |
| 1992 | 32 | #3,434 | 10,469 | #43 |
| 1991 | 34 | #3,222 | 11,336 | #38 |
| 1990 | 42 | #2,744 | 12,000 | #38 |
| 1989 | 60 | #2,080 | 12,245 | #36 |
| 1988 | 91 | #1,494 | 12,109 | #37 |
| 1987 | 82 | #1,546 | 12,173 | #35 |
| 1986 | 85 | #1,475 | 12,625 | #34 |
| 1985 | 106 | #1,270 | 12,900 | #34 |
| 1984 | 112 | #1,180 | 12,942 | #33 |
| 1983 | 121 | #1,114 | 13,212 | #33 |
| 1982 | 124 | #1,132 | 14,310 | #31 |
| 1981 | 102 | #1,263 | 14,427 | #31 |
| 1980 | 116 | #1,162 | 14,959 | #29 |
| 1979 | 130 | #1,062 | 14,806 | #28 |
| 1978 | 118 | #1,105 | 14,844 | #27 |
| 1977 | 88 | #1,315 | 14,743 | #26 |
| 1976 | 106 | #1,124 | 13,921 | #26 |
| 1975 | 129 | #965 | 14,574 | #25 |
| 1974 | 102 | #1,137 | 15,151 | #23 |
| 1973 | 117 | #1,009 | 15,752 | #23 |
| 1972 | 122 | #984 | 16,968 | #23 |
| 1971 | 146 | #903 | 19,851 | #22 |
| 1970 | 148 | #892 | 22,411 | #21 |
| 1969 | 135 | #912 | 21,658 | #19 |
| 1968 | 130 | #906 | 21,575 | #20 |
| 1967 | 122 | #927 | 21,288 | #20 |
| 1966 | 131 | #876 | 22,252 | #20 |
| 1965 | 132 | #870 | 23,494 | #20 |
| 1964 | 129 | #920 | 25,908 | #17 |
| 1963 | 136 | #899 | 26,762 | #16 |
| 1962 | 122 | #961 | 27,590 | #15 |
| 1961 | 120 | #989 | 29,194 | #13 |
| 1960 | 132 | #927 | 29,677 | #13 |
| 1959 | 150 | #837 | 30,797 | #11 |
| 1958 | 129 | #900 | 32,242 | #11 |
| 1957 | 152 | #823 | 34,283 | #11 |
| 1956 | 156 | #793 | 35,239 | #11 |
| 1955 | 148 | #789 | 35,365 | #11 |
| 1954 | 126 | #838 | 37,463 | #10 |
| 1953 | 138 | #779 | 38,421 | #9 |
| 1952 | 121 | #831 | 38,866 | #9 |
| 1951 | 151 | #710 | 39,406 | #9 |
| 1950 | 154 | #693 | 39,095 | #9 |
| 1949 | 143 | #709 | 40,052 | #9 |
| 1948 | 150 | #679 | 38,676 | #9 |
| 1947 | 138 | #726 | 40,781 | #9 |
| 1946 | 134 | #695 | 38,215 | #9 |
| 1945 | 125 | #658 | 32,469 | #7 |
| 1944 | 142 | #615 | 34,662 | #7 |
| 1943 | 176 | #571 | 36,632 | #7 |
| 1942 | 163 | #579 | 35,854 | #7 |
| 1941 | 155 | #563 | 32,742 | #6 |
| 1940 | 140 | #589 | 31,689 | #6 |
| 1939 | 149 | #548 | 30,789 | #6 |
| 1938 | 144 | #571 | 31,151 | #6 |
| 1937 | 176 | #497 | 30,520 | #6 |
| 1936 | 133 | #568 | 29,101 | #6 |
| 1935 | 149 | #528 | 29,983 | #6 |
| 1934 | 168 | #496 | 29,790 | #7 |
| 1933 | 209 | #447 | 28,991 | #6 |
| 1932 | 197 | #469 | 31,092 | #6 |
| 1931 | 212 | #443 | 29,934 | #6 |
| 1930 | 237 | #436 | 31,867 | #6 |
| 1929 | 262 | #409 | 29,930 | #5 |
| 1928 | 271 | #412 | 31,243 | #5 |
| 1927 | 303 | #395 | 31,941 | #5 |
| 1926 | 225 | #451 | 29,521 | #5 |
| 1925 | 216 | #470 | 29,580 | #5 |
| 1924 | 186 | #526 | 30,460 | #5 |
| 1923 | 159 | #570 | 28,966 | #5 |
| 1922 | 199 | #489 | 28,839 | #5 |
| 1921 | 176 | #539 | 29,242 | #5 |
| 1920 | 163 | #564 | 28,309 | #5 |
| 1919 | 129 | #616 | 25,192 | #5 |
| 1918 | 144 | #592 | 26,921 | #5 |
| 1917 | 124 | #612 | 24,143 | #7 |
| 1916 | 123 | #608 | 23,612 | #6 |
| 1915 | 101 | #658 | 21,960 | #7 |
| 1914 | 75 | #672 | 16,937 | #7 |
| 1913 | 49 | #750 | 13,191 | #7 |
| 1912 | 67 | #597 | 11,070 | #7 |
| 1911 | 40 | #689 | 5,725 | #7 |
| 1910 | 32 | #756 | 4,784 | #7 |
| 1909 | 29 | #748 | 4,029 | #7 |
| 1908 | 30 | #712 | 3,929 | #7 |
| 1907 | 20 | #845 | 3,884 | #6 |
| 1906 | 24 | #742 | 3,607 | #6 |
| 1905 | 22 | #781 | 3,608 | #5 |
| 1904 | 24 | #713 | 3,406 | #6 |
| 1903 | 19 | #792 | 3,213 | #5 |
| 1902 | 25 | #673 | 3,361 | #5 |
| 1901 | 23 | #665 | 3,049 | #5 |
| 1900 | 28 | #676 | 4,098 | #5 |
| 1899 | 23 | #646 | 3,147 | #5 |
| 1898 | 19 | #771 | 3,557 | #5 |
| 1897 | 20 | #702 | 3,341 | #5 |
| 1896 | 10 | #1,056 | 3,639 | #5 |
| 1895 | 27 | #578 | 3,633 | #5 |
| 1894 | 26 | #571 | 3,788 | #5 |
| 1893 | 23 | #596 | 3,723 | #5 |
| 1892 | 29 | #505 | 4,319 | #5 |
| 1891 | 29 | #476 | 3,640 | #5 |
| 1890 | 30 | #477 | 4,061 | #5 |
| 1889 | 28 | #468 | 4,199 | #5 |
| 1888 | 28 | #470 | 4,591 | #5 |
| 1887 | 33 | #373 | 4,031 | #5 |
| 1886 | 22 | #462 | 4,533 | #5 |
| 1885 | 24 | #431 | 4,599 | #5 |
| 1884 | 19 | #465 | 4,802 | #5 |
| 1883 | 18 | #452 | 4,826 | #4 |
| 1882 | 23 | #373 | 5,091 | #5 |
| 1881 | 17 | #405 | 4,636 | #5 |
| 1880 | 11 | #520 | 5,348 | #4 |
About the data: counts are Social Security card applications for US births, for names given to at least five babies of a sex in a year (SSA, names.zip, public domain). Ranks follow SSA’s own order: most births first, ties alphabetical. Files retrieved 2026-10-05 (checksum on our sources page).