Boy · Germanic (via Latin and French) · International
Charles
CharlesSay it CHAARLZ
Charles meaning
Charles is an international boy's name of Germanic origin (via Latin and French).
Man, husband; a free man: Germanic Karl
Charles comes through French and Medieval Latin Carolus from the Germanic name Karl, which the Online Etymology Dictionary explains as "man, husband". The same root gave Old English ceorl, an ordinary free man who was not a noble, which is why name lists give "free man". The emperor Charlemagne, Carolus Magnus or "Charles the Great", made it a royal name across Europe, and Britain's King Charles III bears it today. Other famous bearers include the naturalist Charles Darwin and the Indian architect Charles Correa, who worked from Bombay. Its short forms include Charlie and Chuck, and Carlos and Carlo are its Spanish and Italian forms.
Source: Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com), s.v. Charles · entry Charles · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Online Etymology Dictionary, Charles · Online Etymology Dictionary, churl · Online Etymology Dictionary, Charlemagne · Britannica, Indian architecture
Famous namesakes
- Charlemagne (Charles the Great), king of the Franks
- Charles Correa, Indian architect
Popularity abroad
- #48 United States, boys 2025 (up 3 from 51 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #119 England and Wales, boys 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Charles · Carl · Karl