Boys' name · peaked in 1880
Charles name popularity since 1925
2,005,626 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Charles. Half of them were born in 1954 or earlier, so the typical Charles is about 72 years old in 2026. Charles peaked in 1880 as the #4 name for boys, and it ranked #48 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 2,005,626
- Named Charles, 1925–2025
- Peak year
- 1880
- #4 for boys that year
- In 2025
- #48
- for boys in 2025 (5,898 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.5% boys
- 10,006 girls · 1,995,620 boys
- Most popular in
- West Virginia
- 2.15× its national share
Peak year is the year Charles made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Charles births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year on this chart was 1947. Measured as a share of all babies, Charles peaked earlier, in 1880.
Decade by decade
Babies named Charles in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 1,277 | 152,215 | – |
| 1930s | 1,774 | 303,218 | #6 |
| 1940s | 1,466 | 361,772 | #7 |
| 1950s | 1,425 | 361,177 | #11 |
| 1960s | 1,289 | 249,398 | #20 |
| 1970s | 1,206 | 163,021 | #25 |
| 1980s | 999 | 131,902 | #34 |
| 1990s | 233 | 92,434 | #44 |
| 2000s | 161 | 75,334 | #56 |
| 2010s | 122 | 70,024 | #50 |
| 2020–25 | 54 | 35,125 | #48 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
32.9% of babies named Charles from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Baby Boom years (1946–1964). The full split by generation:
Where Charles is most popular
The index compares Charles's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Charles.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 2.15× | 38,231 |
| Mississippi | 1.77× | 43,358 |
| Kentucky | 1.76× | 59,542 |
| District of Columbia | 1.69× | 15,774 |
| Arkansas | 1.66× | 34,463 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 499 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Charles's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Charles.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Charles (1880).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data