Charlie
Boy name · #145 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Charlie? In official American birth records, Charlie has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Charlie ranks #145 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 2,460 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #231, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 732 boys born in 2025 was named Charlie.
Babies named Charlie per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Charlie first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 730 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1919, when 2,891 boys were named Charlie — good for #66 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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 Charlie against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Charlie in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Charlie is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Charlie is most common
Geography matters for names, and Charlie is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Charlie is most common in SD (3.9 per 1,000), ME (3.6 per 1,000), MN (3.6 per 1,000), UT (3.2 per 1,000), RI (3.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.7 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Charlie is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Charlie
Charlie belongs to the Charles family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Charles family went to about 8,445 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #18, versus #145 for Charlie alone.
Names like Charlie
Statistically, parents drawn to Charlie tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Calvin, Leon, Harvey, George, and Julius.
CalvinLeonHarveyGeorgeJuliusWarrenArthurLouis
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Charlie | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,460 | #145 |
| 2024 | 2,094 | #176 |
| 2023 | 2,104 | #174 |
| 2022 | 2,110 | #178 |
| 2021 | 2,009 | #188 |
| 2020 | 1,872 | #204 |
| 2019 | 1,832 | #211 |
| 2018 | 1,730 | #218 |
| 2017 | 1,793 | #213 |
| 2016 | 1,711 | #227 |
| 2015 | 1,674 | #231 |
| 2014 | 1,696 | #225 |
| 2013 | 1,565 | #233 |
| 2012 | 1,537 | #233 |
| 2011 | 1,521 | #236 |
| 2010 | 1,431 | #245 |
| 2009 | 1,255 | #274 |
| 2008 | 1,090 | #306 |
| 2007 | 956 | #334 |
| 2006 | 931 | #337 |
| 2005 | 934 | #329 |
| 2004 | 812 | #350 |
| 2003 | 709 | #368 |
| 2002 | 599 | #416 |
| 2001 | 553 | #439 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Charlie?
In official American birth records, the name Charlie first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 730 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Charlie a popular boy name?
Charlie ranked #145 among boys in 2025 with 2,460 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #231.
When was the name Charlie most popular?
Charlie peaked in 1919, when 2,891 American boys received the name (ranked #66 that year). Since 1919 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Charlie?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 732 newborn American boys was named Charlie. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.