Total births
23,974
Unisex name · since 1880
Charley
23,974 babies named Charley in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1920. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1833
- among boys today
- 23,974
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Charley is the #1833 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 23,974 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Charley recorded 23,974 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #1833 nationally today, ahead of 87% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1833 among boys today
- 23,974 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 87% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Charley is currently the #1833 unisex name in America, more common than 87% of boys - 23,974 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1833
- among boys today
- 23,974
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other boys
Charley vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1833
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 87% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Charley was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
485 babies were named Charley in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Charley compares
23,974 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Charley's all-time total is 65x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Charley | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 23,974 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 485 | 23 | 22,252 |
Charley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Charley splits its recorded history at 1953: 24% of all births land in the more recent half, 76% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1997 (33 births) -- compare that against the 1920 peak of 485 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Charley at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1920
Current rank
#1,833
Active since
1880
Charley popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 485
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Charley popularity over time - girls
11,347 total births recorded since 1901 (Charley as girls' name)
Charley by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Charley's strongest decade.
3,984 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Charley births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
2,550 births
- 1890s
1890s
1,755 births
- 1900s
1900s
1,633 births
- 1910s
1910s
3,530 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,984 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,423 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,852 births
- 1950s 1,414
1950s
1,414 births
- 1960s 1,021
1960s
1,021 births
- 1970s 727
1970s
727 births
- 1980s 625
1980s
625 births
- 1990s 440
1990s
440 births
- 2000s 631
2000s
631 births
- 2010s 865
2010s
865 births
- 2020s 524
2020s
524 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 3,984 births (17% of all-time use).
How Charley 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 Charley's total volume
Charley vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Charley by state
Where Charley concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,732 | 7.2% |
| #2 | Oklahoma | | 1,405 | 5.9% |
| #3 | Louisiana | | 1,117 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Arkansas | | 1,050 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Mississippi | | 1,044 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Missouri | | 811 | 3.4% |
| #7 | California | | 793 | 3.3% |
| #8 | Kentucky | | 691 | 2.9% |
Texas share of Charley's total US births 7.2%
Even split
1,732 of 23,974 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 33 reporting states.
Charley appears in 33 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Charley? ▼
23,974 babies have been named Charley since 1880. It currently ranks #1833 among boys. The peak year was 1920 with 485 births.
When was Charley most popular? ▼
Charley was most popular in the 1920s decade with 3,984 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Charley most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Charley are Texas (1,732 births), Oklahoma (1,405 births), Louisiana (1,117 births).
Is Charley a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Charley is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 23,974 births, and as a girl's name it has 11,347 births.
How long has the name Charley been used? ▼
Records for Charley go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Charley? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Charles, Chad, Charlie, Chase, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Charley's data
- Charley's decade-level peak was the 1920s (3,984 total births); usage has since declined to 524 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Charleys (1,732 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Charley
Nearby Names Like Charley
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Charley
Charles Boy
#51 2,434,659 births
Chad Boy
#1814 240,728 births
Charlie Boy
#176 184,280 births
Chase Boy
#173 181,160 births
Chance Boy
#418 54,622 births
Compare Charley side by side: Charley vs Charles Charley vs Chad Charley vs Charlie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Charley
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. "Charley: #1833 Unisex Name - 23,974 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/charley. 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 Charley 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.