Total births
2,434,659
Boys' name · since 1880
Charles
2,434,659 babies named Charles in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1947. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #51
- among boys today
- 2,434,659
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Charles is the #51 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 2,434,659 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Charles recorded 2,434,659 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #51 nationally today, ahead of 99.6% of boys, peaking in the 1940s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #51 among boys today
- 2,434,659 born since 1880
- 1940s peak decade
- 99.6% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Charles is currently the #51 boys' name in America, more common than 99.6% of boys - 2,434,659 born since 1880, peaking in the 1940s.
- #51
- among boys today
- 2,434,659
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other boys
Charles vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#51
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.6% of names given to boys today.
1940s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Charles was born in this single decade.
1947
Single peak year
40,781 babies were named Charles in 1947 - its busiest year on record.
How Charles compares
2,434,659 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Charles's all-time total is 6,634x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Charles | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,434,659 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 40,781 | 23 | 22,252 |
Charles's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Charles's full recorded timeline at 1953, 44% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 56% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1901, with just 3,049 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1947 peak of 40,781 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Charles at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
1947
Current rank
#51
Active since
1880
Charles popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1947)
- 40,781
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Charles popularity over time - girls
12,476 total births recorded since 1880 (Charles as girls' name)
Charles by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Charles's strongest decade.
361,772 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Charles births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 46,656
1880s
46,656 births
- 1890s 36,848
1890s
36,848 births
- 1900s 36,184
1900s
36,184 births
- 1910s
1910s
173,535 births
- 1920s
1920s
298,031 births
- 1930s
1930s
303,218 births
- 1940s
1940s
361,772 births
- 1950s
1950s
361,177 births
- 1960s
1960s
249,398 births
- 1970s
1970s
163,021 births
- 1980s 131,902
1980s
131,902 births
- 1990s 92,434
1990s
92,434 births
- 2000s 75,334
2000s
75,334 births
- 2010s 70,024
2010s
70,024 births
- 2020s 35,125
2020s
35,125 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 361,772 births (15% of all-time use).
How Charles compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Charles's total volume
Charles vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Charles by state
Where Charles concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 163,091 | 6.7% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 161,296 | 6.6% |
| #3 | Texas | | 130,993 | 5.4% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 127,472 | 5.2% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 116,862 | 4.8% |
| #6 | California | | 115,306 | 4.7% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 82,640 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 80,475 | 3.3% |
New York share of Charles's total US births 6.7%
Even split
163,091 of 2,434,659 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Charles appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Charles? ▼
Charles has been given to 2,434,659 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #51 as of the latest data. 40,781 babies were born in 1947, its single highest year.
When was Charles most popular? ▼
Charles was most popular in the 1940s decade with 361,772 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is Charles most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Charles are New York (163,091 births), Pennsylvania (161,296 births), Texas (130,993 births).
How long has the name Charles been used? ▼
Records for Charles go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Charles? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Chad, Charlie, Chase, Chance, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Charles's data
- Charles's decade-level peak was the 1940s (361,772 total births); usage has since declined to 35,125 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Charless (163,091 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Charles
Nearby Names Like Charles
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Charles
Chad Boy
#1814 240,728 births
Charlie Boy
#176 184,280 births
Chase Boy
#173 181,160 births
Chance Boy
#418 54,622 births
Chandler Boy
#736 36,507 births
Compare Charles side by side: Charles vs Chad Charles vs Charlie Charles vs Chase
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Charles
Cooper #50
123,702 births · Peak 2025
Roman #52
104,653 births · Peak 2025
Caleb #49
324,350 births · Peak 2002
Josiah #53
148,958 births · Peak 2017
Grayson #48
128,994 births · Peak 2017
Ezekiel #54
83,605 births · Peak 2022
Aiden #47
257,765 births · Peak 2009
Thiago #55
35,200 births · Peak 2025
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Charles: #51 Boys' Name - 2,434,659 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/charles. 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 Charles 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.