unisex name · in the US
Charley
CHAR-lee (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Unisex (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 45,405
the United States
#763
2025 births
Charley means free man, and it is one of the few mixed names on this site — 39 percent of recorded births are female, and it is rising.
- Charley is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2014, when 719 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 7,484 babies in the United States is given this name.
- Charley started out as a boys' name and is now given almost entirely to girls.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Charley Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,550 |
| 1890s | 1,755 |
| 1900s | 1,645 |
| 1910s | 3,609 |
| 1920s | 4,137 |
| 1930s | 2,554 |
| 1940s | 1,954 |
| 1950s | 1,466 |
| 1960s | 1,032 |
| 1970s | 802 |
| 1980s | 1,013 |
| 1990s | 1,095 |
| 2000s | 2,359 |
| 2010s | 6,234 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,116 |
What Charley Means
Charley means a free man, carried from Charles. The Germanic karl named a peasant freeholder rather than a nobleman, which is the reverse of what the name later came to signal.
Where Charley Comes From
Charley is a pet form of Charles, from the Germanic karl — a free man, specifically a commoner with land rather than a noble. Charlemagne's Latin name, Carolus Magnus, made it royal across Europe, and it entered the Slavic languages as the general word for a king: the Polish król and Czech král are Charles. The German Kerl still means an ordinary bloke, and English ceorl went the other way into churl.
Charley in Use
Charley peaked in the United States in 2014, when 719 babies were registered, and it is rising. It now ranks 422nd in Scotland on 8 births, 485th in Northern Ireland, 763rd in the United States on 443, 843rd in Ireland on 4 and 1,561st in England and Wales on 23, across 45,405 lifetime births in six markets. England and Wales ran its own peak of 416 births in 1998.
How Popular Is Charley?
In 2025, Charley was given to 443 babies in the United States, ranking #763 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Charley Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Charley
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Charley Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Charley over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Charley is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Both 85% girls · 5,753 babies
- England & Wales Both 66% girls · 484 babies
- Canada Both 85% girls · 457 babies
- Scotland Girls' 97% girls · 154 babies
- Ireland Both 86% girls · 64 babies
How to Say Charley
- English CHAR-lee /ˈtʃɑːɹ.li/
Charley in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Charley
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Charley — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Charley
What does the name Charley mean?
A free man — the Germanic karl, a peasant freeholder rather than a noble.
Is król really Charles?
Yes. Charlemagne's name became the Slavic word for a king.
Is Charley a boys' or girls' name?
Both — about 39 percent of recorded births are female.
Is Charley rising?
It is rising, and it charts in six markets.
How popular is the name Charley?
In 2025, Charley was given to 443 babies in the United States, ranking #763 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Charley?
Charley has 2 syllables.
When was Charley most popular?
Charley peaked in 2014, when 719 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Charley a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Charley currently ranks #422 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.