Charlotte
Charlotte was the 2nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 13,400 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 7 places. More babies were named Charlotte in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning feminine form of Charles · Germanic, French
Say it SHAR-lut /ˈʃɑrlət/
- Rank in 2025
- #2 girls, up 3 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 13,400girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 202513,400 babies
- Total since 1880
- 454,204babies recorded
What does the name Charlotte mean?
Charlotte is a French feminine pet form of Charles. English borrowed it from French in the 17th century. Charles itself goes back to a Germanic word for a man, specifically a free man; English 'churl' and German 'Kerl' are relatives. Wiktionary notes that places called Charlotte are named after Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744-1818).
*karlaz (Proto-Germanic, “man, free man”)karl (Old High German, “man”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
Nicknames for Charlotte
The usual nicknames for Charlotte are Charlie, Lottie and Char. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Charlotte in the last five years, 17 were named Charlie, against 10 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie · also for Charles, Charleigh, Charlene | Modern | #133 | 11,082 |
| Lottie | Traditional | #528 | 1,869 |
| Char | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Charlottes go by each one.
Charlotte popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 771 since 1907, 8 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2 | 13,400 |
| 2020 | #5 | 13,100 |
| 2010 | #46 | 5,358 |
| 2000 | #289 | 1,105 |
| 1990 | #287 | 964 |
| 1980 | #292 | 848 |
| 1970 | #166 | 1,991 |
| 1960 | #151 | 2,781 |
| 1950 | #80 | 4,735 |
| 1940 | #55 | 4,291 |
| 1930 | #75 | 3,406 |
| 1920 | #79 | 3,624 |
| 1910 | #99 | 896 |
| 1900 | #110 | 602 |
| 1890 | #99 | 417 |
| 1880 | #91 | 237 |
How popular is Charlotte, counting every spelling?
Charlotte is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #3 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2 for Charlotte on its own. Together these spellings went to 13,400 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 13,400 | #2 | 64,955 |
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 Charlotte?
13,400 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Charlotte (3.72 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Charlotte born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 15. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, a typical elementary school of 430 pupils would have about 1.6 children named Charlotte.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Charlotte?
About 319,000 people born in the US named Charlotte are alive today, with a median age of 13; half are between 7 and 60. That makes Charlotte mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Charlotte by state
How common Charlotte was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (3.9×), New Hampshire (3.0×), Wyoming (2.9×), Maine (2.9×), Rhode Island (2.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in California, Texas, New Mexico.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Charlotte: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Charlotte, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Charlotte · Sibling names for Charlotte
Questions about the name Charlotte
What does Charlotte mean?
Charlotte means “feminine form of Charles” (Germanic, French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Charlotte?
Charlotte was the 2nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 13,400 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 7 places. More babies were named Charlotte in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Charlotte a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Charlotte in the US.
Where is Charlotte most popular?
In 2021–2025, Charlotte was most common in Vermont (31.57 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Hampshire and Wyoming.