Charleston
Girl name · #3280 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Charleston? In official American birth records, Charleston has been tracked continuously since 1997, giving it 28 years of documented American history.
Charleston ranks #3280 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 48 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1042, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 37,500 girls born in 2025 was named Charleston.
Babies named Charleston per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 28-year story
Charleston first appears in the Social Security records in 1997, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2015, when 255 girls were named Charleston — good for #1042 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Charleston against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Charleston in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Charleston is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Charleston will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Charleston is most common
State-level data for Charleston is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Charleston
Statistically, parents drawn to Charleston tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kensington, Ellington, Brighton, Anniston, and Boston.
KensingtonEllingtonBrightonAnnistonBostonAnistonCoralynnAddalynn
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Charleston | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 48 | #3249 |
| 2024 | 46 | #3395 |
| 2023 | 46 | #3428 |
| 2022 | 64 | #2689 |
| 2021 | 68 | #2558 |
| 2020 | 64 | #2631 |
| 2019 | 88 | #2128 |
| 2018 | 94 | #2059 |
| 2017 | 99 | #1989 |
| 2016 | 156 | #1472 |
| 2015 | 255 | #1042 |
| 2014 | 41 | #3719 |
| 2013 | 23 | #5644 |
| 2012 | 26 | #5253 |
| 2011 | 20 | #6335 |
| 2010 | 19 | #6641 |
| 2009 | 19 | #6811 |
| 2008 | 11 | #10084 |
| 2007 | 23 | #5895 |
| 2006 | 19 | #6592 |
| 2005 | 8 | #11834 |
| 2004 | 11 | #9264 |
| 2003 | 9 | #10425 |
| 2002 | 10 | #9482 |
| 2001 | 11 | #8758 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Charleston?
In official American birth records, the name Charleston first appeared in 1997 (over 28 years ago), when 7 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 28 years.
Is Charleston a popular girl name?
Charleston ranked #3280 among girls in 2025 with 48 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1042.
When was the name Charleston most popular?
Charleston peaked in 2015, when 255 American girls received the name (ranked #1042 that year). Since 2015 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Charleston?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 37,500 newborn American girls was named Charleston. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.