How to say it
CHAR · lie
/ˈtʃɑr.li/
Unisex
Charlie
Free
What it means
Originally a short for Charles or Charlotte, from the Germanic karl ('free man'). Now used as a standalone given name for both genders.
Charlie started as a short for Charles or Charlotte, both from the Germanic karl ('free man / free woman'). Through the 20th century it was overwhelmingly a nickname; in the 21st it became a standalone given name in its own right, particularly after Princess Charlotte's birth (2015) made Charlie a popular short for daughters across the English-speaking world. The unisex shift accelerated in the US through the 2010s. Charlie Brown (Peanuts) and Charlie Chaplin are the deepest pop-culture anchors. Common further-short: Char.
Popularity over time
Feminine: peaked at #122 in 2020, currently #133 in 2025.
Masculine: peaked at #20 in 1881, currently #145 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Charlie is itself a short form, so it doesn't shorten further. Char shows up occasionally.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Charlie Brown Title character of Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts (Charles Schulz's chosen given name for him is Charlie)
- Charlie Chaplin English silent-film comedian, the Tramp
- Charlie Parker American jazz saxophonist, bebop pioneer
Spelling variants
- Charles
- Charlotte
- Charlie
Names with the same feeling
See Charlie from another angle
By meaning
By style