Charly

Did you know?

A few things about Charly you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Charly

Charly Gaul

Professional cyclist (1932–2005)

Choose Charly and your child shares a first name with Charly Gaul, a professional cyclist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Charly, like who?” Charly Gaul's Wikipedia article is available in 28 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Charly Gaul on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author (ANeFo), CC0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 33,445 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Charly, 48 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Charly would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryCharly first shows up in US birth records in 1884, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 141 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 1986, when it reached #1,838.
• 📈Then vs nowCharly is 2.2× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 72,464 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 33,445.
• 🍂TrendCharly has slipped 1,134 places over the last five years and now sits at #3,249. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• ⚖️Boy or girlCharly is given to both boys and girls: 75% of the 64 babies named Charly in 2025 were girls. That makes it one of the names that truly works for either.
• 💬MeaningCharly is an English form of Charlotte, which means “free”. Our records link it to English and French roots.

About the name Charly

Charly is a girl name of English and French origin meaning “free”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with C and ending in “-rly”. US birth records list Charly for girls from 1975 to 2025, in 51 of those 51 years. Its best year was 1986, when it ranked #1,838 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #3,249, with 48 babies.

Origin:English namesFrench names