Charles
Charles is a boy name of German origin, meaning Free man.
What Charles means
Free man.
Charles sits at 7 letters, and ends on a consonant, which gives it a firmer stop.
Where Charles comes from
German names are typically Germanic compounds, built from two elements — often one describing strength or protection and one describing a domain such as battle, home, or people.
Charles is recorded as German in origin. Browse other German names.
How popular is Charles?
Charles sits outside the top 100 boy names we currently track. For many parents that is the appeal: a name with genuine history behind it that has not been picked up by everyone at once.
The character of Charles
We group Charles under the long-established classics and royalty and rule — an unusual pairing, and often the reason a name feels the way it does. Each theme opens a full list of names sharing it.
Names like Charles
These share Charles's themes, origin, or both — closest first.
- Frederick — Peaceful ruler.
- Alexander — Defender of the people.
- August — Great, venerable, majestic.
- Cesare — Long-haired; emperor.
- Henry — Ruler of the home.
- William — Resolute protector.
- Augustus — Great, venerable and majestic.
- Charlotte — Free; petite and feminine.
- Edward — Wealthy guardian.
- Julius — Youthful; downy-bearded.
- Lawrence — Crowned with laurel.
- Octavian — The eighth-born.