Charlee
Charlee was the 417th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 750 babies. Its best year was 2021, when it ranked 272nd; the most babies were born in 2019 (1,172). Over the last ten years it has moved down 135 places. More babies were named Charlee in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning variant of Charlie (Charles) · English, Germanic
Say it CHAR-lee /ˈtʃɑrli/
- Rank in 2025
- #417 girls, down 142 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 750girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20191,172 babies
- Total since 1880
- 19,749babies recorded
What does the name Charlee mean?
Charlee is a modern spelling of Charlie, used mainly for girls. Charlie is a pet form of Charles and, for girls, of Charlotte. DMNES derives Charles from Old High German karl, "man", related to Old English ceorl, "freeman", and notes that Charlemagne made it a lasting royal name. The -ee ending is a recent American spelling.
karl (Old High German, “man, free man”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Charlie, Charley, Charlotte, Charles.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Charlee', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Charles', DMNES, Durham University
Charlee popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 481 since 1981, 19 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #417 | 750 |
| 2020 | #275 | 1,138 |
| 2010 | #558 | 524 |
| 2000 | #1,887 | 90 |
| 1990 | #1,719 | 85 |
| 1980 | #2,705 | 34 |
| 1970 | #5,890 | 8 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | #2,560 | 16 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | #4,114 | 6 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Charlee, counting every spelling?
Charlee is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #253 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #417 for Charlee on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,353 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlee | 750 | #417 | 4,475 |
| Charli | 597 | #496 | 3,485 |
| Charlea | 6 | #13,548 | 46 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Charlee?
750 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Charlee (0.21 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Charlee born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 11 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Charlee.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Charlee?
About 19,000 people born in the US named Charlee are alive today, with a median age of 10; half are between 6 and 15. That makes Charlee a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Charlee by state
How common Charlee was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in West Virginia (5.1×), Montana (3.1×), Mississippi (3.0×), Alabama (2.9×), Arkansas (2.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Hampshire, California, New Jersey.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Charlee: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Charlee, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Charlee · Sibling names for Charlee
Questions about the name Charlee
What does Charlee mean?
Charlee means “variant of Charlie (Charles)” (English, Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Charlee?
Charlee was the 417th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 750 babies. Its best year was 2021, when it ranked 272nd; the most babies were born in 2019 (1,172). Over the last ten years it has moved down 135 places. More babies were named Charlee in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Charlee a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Charlee in the US.
Where is Charlee most popular?
In 2021–2025, Charlee was most common in West Virginia (2.82 per 1,000 girls), followed by Montana and Mississippi.