Unisex name · since 1880
Charlie
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 184,280 babies named Charlie, peaking in 1919. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #199 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #145 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 184,280
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
184,280 babies have been named Charlie since 1880, making it today's #145 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Charlie recorded 184,280 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #145 nationally today, ahead of 99% 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.
- #199 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #145 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 184,280 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Charlie ranks #199 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #145 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 184,280 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #199 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #145 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 184,280
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Charlie's 184,280 recorded births place it above 99.56% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Georgia.
How Charlie compares
184,280 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Charlie's all-time total is 499x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Charlie | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 184,280 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,891 | 34 | 22,252 |
Charlie's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Charlie's SSA record in two at 1953 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 1993, with only 441 births recorded -- set against the 1919 peak of 2,891, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Charlie popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1919)
- 2,891
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Charlie popularity over time - girls
40,359 total births recorded since 1881 (Charlie as girls' name)
Charlie by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (25,176 births, 14% of the file).
1920s was Charlie's strongest decade.
25,176 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Charlie births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 7,091
1880s
7,091 births
- 1890s 7,261
1890s
7,261 births
- 1900s 7,928
1900s
7,928 births
- 1910s
1910s
19,834 births
- 1920s
1920s
25,176 births
- 1930s
1930s
19,154 births
- 1940s
1940s
18,264 births
- 1950s
1950s
15,282 births
- 1960s 10,041
1960s
10,041 births
- 1970s 6,365
1970s
6,365 births
- 1980s 5,465
1980s
5,465 births
- 1990s 4,913
1990s
4,913 births
- 2000s 8,367
2000s
8,367 births
- 2010s
2010s
16,490 births
- 2020s
2020s
12,649 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 25,176 births (14% of all-time use).
How Charlie 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 Charlie's total volume
Charlie by state
Where Charlie concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 19,516 | 10.6% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 14,601 | 7.9% |
| #3 | Texas | | 13,658 | 7.4% |
| #4 | Alabama | | 11,689 | 6.3% |
| #5 | Mississippi | | 9,840 | 5.3% |
| #6 | California | | 8,414 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 8,154 | 4.4% |
| #8 | South Carolina | | 7,415 | 4.0% |
19,516 of 184,280 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Charlie appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Charlie? ▼
Where does Charlie sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Charlie most popular? ▼
Where is Charlie most popular? ▼
Is Charlie a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Charlie been used? ▼
What names are similar to Charlie? ▼
What to do with Charlie's data
- Charlie's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (25,176 total births) through the 2020s (12,649) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Georgia records the most Charlies (19,516 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Charlie
Nearby Names Like Charlie
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Charlie
Compare Charlie side by side: Charlie vs Charles Charlie vs Chad Charlie vs Chase
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Charlie
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Charlie: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1919)
Similar record span (~145 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, 1880–2025 (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 Charlie 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.