Charlotte
Girl name · English · French · German
Meaningfree · French form of Charles
- US rank
- #2
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #2 in 2025
13,400 babies were named Charlotte in the US in 2025. It has climbed 3 places in five years.
Nicknames & spellings
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Charlotte you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Charlotte
Charlotte Brontë
British novelist and poet (1816-1855)
Choose Charlotte and your child shares a first name with Charlotte Brontë, a British novelist and poet. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Charlotte, like who?” Charlotte Brontë's Wikipedia article is available in 135 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Charlotte Brontë on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: George Richmond, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 120 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Charlotte, 13,400 babies in all. In a school of 500 kids, you'd expect to meet about 2 Charlottes.
- HistoryCharlotte has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Charlottes, and counting.
- Best yearCharlotte is at its all-time high right now: #2 in 2025.
- Then vs nowCharlotte is 14× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 1,643 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 120.
- Where it's lovedCharlotte is the #1 girl name in 28 states, including Alaska, Alabama and Arkansas. It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningCharlotte is a French form of Charles, which means “free”. Our records link it to English, French and German roots.
- OriginCharlotte is the #2 most popular English girl name in the US. That's out of 6,029 English girl and unisex names in our list.
About the name Charlotte
Charlotte is a girl name of English, French and German origin meaning “free”. It has 9 letters and 2 syllables, starting with C and ending in “-tte”. US birth records list Charlotte for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 2025, when it ranked #2 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #2, with 13,400 babies.
Origin:English namesFrench namesGerman names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,520 | 397 girls |
| 1890s | 2,149 | 465 girls |
| 1900s | 2,104 | 475 girls |
| 1910s | 2,676 | 374 girls |
| 1920s | 2,993 | 334 girls |
| 1930s | 3,250 | 308 girls |
| 1940s | 3,460 | 289 girls |
| 1950s | 1,946 | 514 girls |
| 1960s | 1,322 | 756 girls |
| 1970s | 804 | 1,243 girls |
| 1980s | 494 | 2,024 girls |
| 1990s | 539 | 1,855 girls |
| 2000s | 1,306 | 766 girls |
| 2010s | 5,876 | 170 girls |
| 2020s | 8,023 | 125 girls |
Other spellings of Charlotte
More English girl names
- Girl name: Olivia · olive tree
- Unisex name: Harper · harp player
- Girl name: Elizabeth · God is my oath
- Girl name: Lily · lily flower
- Girl name: Lucy · light
- Girl name: Lainey · possibly light
- Girl name: Scarlett · scarlet red
- Unisex name: Avery · elf counsel
Questions about the name Charlotte
What does the name Charlotte mean?
Charlotte means “free” in French, as a form of Charles.
What is the origin of the name Charlotte?
Charlotte has English, French, German roots in our records. Other English names include Olivia, Harper, Elizabeth.
Is Charlotte a boy or girl name?
Charlotte is a girl name, though a few boys get it too.
How popular is the name Charlotte?
Charlotte ranked #2 for US girls in 2025, given to 13,400 babies. Its best year was 2025 (#2).