Charles
Say it: CHARLZ
BoyMeans free man7 letters1 syllable
#188
in Ireland (2025)
25
babies in 2025
#43
best rank (1964)
3,682
babies since 1964
Down 74
10-year rank change
Charles through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25 | #188 |
| 2024 | 14 | #279 |
| 2023 | 17 | #248 |
| 2022 | 36 | #157 |
| 2021 | 32 | #169 |
| 2020 | 26 | #194 |
| 2019 | 32 | #176 |
| 2018 | 37 | #160 |
| 2017 | 38 | #156 |
| 2016 | 49 | #134 |
| 2015 | 61 | #114 |
| 2014 | 56 | #123 |
| 2013 | 66 | #110 |
| 2012 | 59 | #122 |
| 2011 | 73 | #104 |
| 2010 | 67 | #110 |
| 2009 | 77 | #99 |
| 2008 | 68 | #114 |
| 2007 | 79 | #90 |
| 2006 | 79 | #83 |
| 2005 | 62 | #99 |
| 2004 | 64 | #93 |
| 2003 | 52 | #104 |
| 2002 | 37 | #123 |
| 2001 | 48 | #102 |
| 2000 | 34 | #126 |
| 1999 | 31 | #124 |
| 1998 | 23 | #139 |
| 1997 | 23 | #154 |
| 1996 | 44 | #114 |
| 1995 | 34 | #129 |
| 1994 | 22 | #149 |
| 1993 | 40 | #118 |
| 1992 | 34 | #129 |
| 1991 | 38 | #121 |
| 1990 | 46 | #108 |
| 1989 | 46 | #103 |
| 1988 | 41 | #115 |
| 1987 | 52 | #98 |
| 1986 | 49 | #106 |
| 1985 | 47 | #109 |
| 1984 | 52 | #107 |
| 1983 | 53 | #104 |
| 1982 | 66 | #93 |
| 1981 | 67 | #92 |
| 1980 | 87 | #80 |
| 1979 | 64 | #98 |
| 1978 | 73 | #91 |
| 1977 | 75 | #88 |
| 1976 | 73 | #93 |
| 1975 | 78 | #90 |
| 1974 | 74 | #94 |
| 1973 | 84 | #90 |
| 1972 | 79 | #88 |
| 1971 | 94 | #77 |
| 1970 | 114 | #62 |
| 1969 | 96 | #66 |
| 1968 | 83 | #69 |
| 1967 | 104 | #56 |
| 1966 | 118 | #53 |
| 1965 | 145 | #46 |
| 1964 | 145 | #43 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Charles mean?
Free man
Germanic, from Karl, from an old word for a free man, through French.
Say it right
CHARLZ
The story of Charles
Charles came into English from French, and goes back to the Germanic name Karl. That comes from an old word for a free man, a cousin of the English word “churl” and the German Kerl. In Latin the name was written Carolus.
The name’s fame began with Charlemagne, “Charles the Great”, who ruled much of western Europe around the year 800. It was later carried by kings of France and of England and Scotland. In Ireland, one of the best-known bearers is the nineteenth-century politician Charles Stewart Parnell.
In 1964 it was given to 145 boys and stood at number 43, its best in the records. It stayed in the top 100 into the 2000s, but in 2025 it was at number 188. Much of its warmth has passed to Charlie, which the CSO counts as a separate name.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Charles (English proper noun)
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
Charlie
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Charles | 25 | 3,682 |
In Northern Ireland
#143 in 2025 with 16 babies. Best rank #75 (2000); 607 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.