Charleston
Girl name · #3280 in 2025 · Uniqueness 82/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
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?
Charleston scores 82 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. 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
Geography matters for names, and Charleston is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Charlestons were SC (8), TN (8), NC (5), TX (5). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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
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. It scores 82/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.