Charley is a unisex name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Charley means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Charley across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Charley has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Charley is a unisex name of Germanic origin meaning “free man”. A pet form of Charles or Charlotte.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 35,321 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 6,347 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 851 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 233 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 286 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Charley per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 2014 (719/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1998 (416/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2007 (57/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2010 (24/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2007 (24/yr).
Charley has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2014, when it ranked #876 nationally (given to 943 babies that year).
Shirley · Charlie · Charlee · Shirlee · Charli · Charleigh · Cheryle · Sharla
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