Total births
133,729
Girls' name · since 1888
Charlene
133,729 babies named Charlene in U.S. Social Security records since 1888, with the highest year being 1952. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1755
- among girls today
- 133,729
- born since 1888
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Charlene is the #1755 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 133,729 recorded since 1888.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Charlene has been recorded 133,729 times among girls since 1888, currently ranked #1755 nationally and more common than 90% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1888 to 2025.
- #1755 among girls today
- 133,729 born since 1888
- 1950s peak decade
- 90% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Charlene is currently the #1755 girls' name in America, more common than 90% of girls - 133,729 born since 1888, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1755
- among girls today
- 133,729
- born since 1888
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other girls
Charlene vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1755
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 90% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Charlene was born in this single decade.
1952
Single peak year
3,546 babies were named Charlene in 1952 - its busiest year on record.
How Charlene compares
133,729 Top 2% higher than 98% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Charlene's all-time total is 350x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Charlene | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 133,729 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 3,546 | 48 | 19,840 |
Charlene's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Charlene's SSA record in two at 1960 and the more recent half accounts for 40% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 60%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1888, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1952 peak of 3,546, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Charlene at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1952
Current rank
#1,755
Active since
1888
Charlene popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1888–2025
- Peak year (1952)
- 3,546
- Annual births at peak, across 138 years of records
Charlene popularity over time - boys
382 total births recorded since 1933 (Charlene as boys' name)
Charlene by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Charlene's strongest decade.
32,718 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Charlene births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 40
1890s
40 births
- 1900s 139
1900s
139 births
- 1910s 1,282
1910s
1,282 births
- 1920s 5,570
1920s
5,570 births
- 1930s
1930s
13,471 births
- 1940s
1940s
26,782 births
- 1950s
1950s
32,718 births
- 1960s
1960s
24,624 births
- 1970s 12,547
1970s
12,547 births
- 1980s 8,938
1980s
8,938 births
- 1990s 3,864
1990s
3,864 births
- 2000s 1,741
2000s
1,741 births
- 2010s 1,348
2010s
1,348 births
- 2020s 660
2020s
660 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 32,718 births (24% of all-time use).
How Charlene compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Charlene's total volume
Charlene vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Charlene by state
Where Charlene concentrates geographically, total births since 1888
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 12,307 | 9.2% |
| #2 | New York | | 9,138 | 6.8% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 7,598 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 7,590 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 6,833 | 5.1% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 6,505 | 4.9% |
| #7 | Texas | | 6,412 | 4.8% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 3,977 | 3.0% |
California share of Charlene's total US births 9.2%
Even split
12,307 of 133,729 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Charlene appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Charlene? ▼
Charlene has been given to 133,729 babies in the U.S. since 1888, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1755 as of the latest data. 3,546 babies were born in 1952, its single highest year.
When was Charlene most popular? ▼
Charlene was most popular in the 1950s decade with 32,718 total births. The single peak year was 1952.
Where is Charlene most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Charlene are California (12,307 births), New York (9,138 births), Illinois (7,598 births).
How long has the name Charlene been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Charlene since 1888 -- 138 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Charlene? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Charlotte, Charlie, Charity, Chasity, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Charlene's data
- Charlene's decade-level peak was the 1950s (32,718 total births); usage has since declined to 660 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Charlenes (12,307 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Charlene
Nearby Names Like Charlene
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Charlene
Charlotte Girl
#4 453,433 births
Charlie Girl
#140 40,359 births
Charity Girl
#2041 35,518 births
Chasity Girl
#4059 24,414 births
Charlee Girl
#398 19,268 births
Compare Charlene side by side: Charlene vs Charlotte Charlene vs Charlie Charlene vs Charity
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Charlene
Zadie #1754
3,615 births · Peak 2016
Tess #1756
14,770 births · Peak 1992
Jennie #1753
127,181 births · Peak 1917
Leilah #1757
4,241 births · Peak 2010
Solene #1752
509 births · Peak 2025
Estela #1758
9,147 births · Peak 2022
Jireh #1751
1,304 births · Peak 2023
Walker #1759
1,037 births · Peak 2022
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1888–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Charlene: #1755 Girls' Name - 133,729 Births, Peak 1952." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/charlene. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Charlene draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.