Unisex name · since 1914
Charleston
Since 1914, U.S. Social Security records show 2,508 babies named Charleston, peaking in 2015. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2,863 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,003 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,508
- born since 1914
- 2010s
- peak decade
Charleston currently ranks #3003 among unisex names in America, with 2,508 babies recorded since 1914.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Charleston has been recorded 2,508 times among boys since 1914, currently ranked #3003 nationally and more common than 78% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 2025.
- #2,863 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #3,003 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 2,508 born since 1914
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Charleston ranks #2,863 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,003 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 2,508 born since 1914, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2,863 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,003 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,508
- born since 1914
- 2010s
- peak decade
Charleston's 2,508 recorded births place it above 93.7% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
10 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Charleston compares
2,508 Top 20% higher than 80% of 13,930 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
Charleston's all-time total is 7x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Charleston | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,508 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 88 | 34 | 22,252 |
Charleston's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Charleston's SSA record in two at 1978 and the more recent half accounts for 79% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 21%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1914, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2015 peak of 88, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Charleston popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2025
- Peak year (2015)
- 88
- Annual births at peak, across 112 years of records
Charleston popularity over time - girls
1,305 total births recorded since 1997 (Charleston as girls' name)
Charleston by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (609 births, 24% of the file).
2010s was Charleston's strongest decade.
609 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Charleston births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 22
1910s
22 births
- 1920s 64
1920s
64 births
- 1930s 23
1930s
23 births
- 1940s 32
1940s
32 births
- 1950s 99
1950s
99 births
- 1960s 125
1960s
125 births
- 1970s 202
1970s
202 births
- 1980s
1980s
336 births
- 1990s
1990s
374 births
- 2000s
2000s
350 births
- 2010s
2010s
609 births
- 2020s
2020s
272 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 609 births (24% of all-time use).
How Charleston 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 Charleston's total volume
Charleston by state
Where Charleston concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 226 | 9.0% |
| #2 | Louisiana | | 90 | 3.6% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 89 | 3.5% |
| #4 | Florida | | 31 | 1.2% |
| #5 | Tennessee | | 31 | 1.2% |
| #6 | California | | 30 | 1.2% |
| #7 | Alabama | | 25 | 1.0% |
| #8 | South Carolina | | 12 | 0.5% |
226 of 2,508 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Charleston appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Charleston? ▼
Where does Charleston sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Charleston most popular? ▼
Where is Charleston most popular? ▼
Is Charleston a unisex name? ▼
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What names are similar to Charleston? ▼
What to do with Charleston's data
- Charleston's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (609 total births) through the 2020s (272) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Charlestons (226 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Charleston
Nearby Names Like Charleston
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Charleston
Compare Charleston side by side: Charleston vs Charles Charleston vs Chad Charleston vs Charlie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Charleston
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Charleston: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2015)
Similar record span (~111 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1914–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Charleston 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 August 2026.