Charlie is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Charlie means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Charlie across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Charlie has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Charlie is a boy name of Germanic origin meaning “free man”. a pet form of Charles.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 224,639 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 111,727 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 6,596 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 3,796 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 7,453 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 3,893 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 Charlie per year, England & Wales (1996 to 2025). England & Wales peaked in 2012 (5,719/yr) · United States peaked in 2025 (4,620/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2012 (446/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2015 (362/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2012 (236/yr).
Charlie has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2025, when it ranked #122 nationally (given to 6,761 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 2020s.
Charlee · Shirlee · Charli · Charleigh · Charley · Cheryle · Sharla · Charla
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