Charlyn
Charlyn was the 15402nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 5 babies. Its best year was 1944, when it ranked 1406th; the most babies were born in 1947 (42). Over the last ten years it has moved down 3,331 places. More babies were named Charlyn in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Charlene) feminine of Charles (19th-century coinage) · English, Germanic
- Rank in 2025
- #15,402 girls, up 212 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 5girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 194742 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,829babies recorded
What does the name Charlyn mean?
Charlyn is a spelling of Charlene, pronounced the same way, so it shares Charlene's meaning and origin.
Charlene is a feminine form of Charles coined in the 19th century, as Wiktionary notes, with the -ene ending of Marlene and Helene. Charles comes from Germanic karl 'man, free man', as DMNES notes, the same word as Old English ceorl 'freeman'. Charlene belongs to a group of 19th- and 20th-century feminine coinages, with Charlotte and Caroline as the older feminine forms of Charles. Wiktionary notes it was most used in the US in the 1940s.
karl (Old High German, “man, free man”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Charlotte, Caroline, Sharlene, Carla.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Charlene', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Charles', DMNES (Durham University)
Charlyn popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #15,402 | 5 |
| 2020 | #15,614 | 5 |
| 2010 | #11,458 | 9 |
| 2000 | #9,301 | 10 |
| 1990 | #5,601 | 16 |
| 1980 | #3,231 | 26 |
| 1970 | #2,717 | 26 |
| 1960 | #2,065 | 31 |
| 1950 | #1,455 | 40 |
| 1940 | #1,445 | 28 |
| 1930 | #2,440 | 13 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Charlyn, counting every spelling?
Charlyn is a spelling of Charlene, a name family that ranked #1,570 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #15,402 for Charlyn on its own. Together these spellings went to 117 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlene | 99 | #1,948 | 541 |
| Charlynn | 7 | #12,176 | 27 |
| Charline | 6 | #13,552 | 26 |
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 Charlyn?
5 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Charlyn (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Charlyn 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 1,661 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Charlyn.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Charlyn?
About 1,400 people born in the US named Charlyn are alive today, with a median age of 55; half are between 38 and 71. That makes Charlyn mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Charlyn by state
How common Charlyn was among girls born in each state in 1945–1949, around its peak. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.3×). In 48 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Charlyn: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Charlyn, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Charlyn
What does Charlyn mean?
Charlyn is a spelling of Charlene, which means “feminine of Charles (19th-century coinage)” (English, Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Charlyn?
Charlyn was the 15402nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 5 babies. Its best year was 1944, when it ranked 1406th; the most babies were born in 1947 (42). Over the last ten years it has moved down 3,331 places. More babies were named Charlyn in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Charlyn a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Charlyn in the US.
Where was Charlyn most popular?
In 1945–1949, Charlyn was most common in California (0.05 per 1,000 girls), followed by Illinois and Michigan.