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Charlene

Quick answerCharlene is the feminine form of Charles, derived from the Germanic name Karl, which means "free man" or "a man of the people" through the Old Germanic root "carl." The name entered English usage primarily through French influence (as Charlemagne) and became popular as a feminine given name in English-speaking…

English · Girl · 2 syllables

C
Top 5,000

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderGirl
US Rank#1,948
TrendStable
Peak year1952
Syllables2
OriginEnglish
LanguageEnglish
CultureEnglish, French
Letters8
Numerology3 Chaldean 11
Global rank#384

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Charlene

Charlene is the feminine form of Charles, derived from the Germanic name Karl, which means "free man" or "a man of the people" through the Old Germanic root "carl." The name entered English usage primarily through French influence (as Charlemagne) and became popular as a feminine given name in English-speaking countries during the 20th century, particularly in America and Australia.

Cross-referenced with Wikidata/Wikipedia. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

Charlene is the feminine form of Charles, derived from the Germanic name Karl, which means "free man" or "a man of the people" through the Old Germanic root "carl." The name entered English usage primarily through French influence (as Charlemagne) and became popular as a feminine given name in English-speaking countries during the 20th century, particularly in America and Australia.

Charlene currently ranks #1,948 in the United States as a girl's name. It reached its peak popularity around 1952.

Variants & nicknames

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Sibling name ideas

English, French names that sit beautifully beside Charlene

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Names starting with C

Names that sound like Charlene

Phonetic match, not just spelling
Carolina
Unisex Italian

"Carolina is the feminine form of Carolus, derived from the Germanic name Charles, ultimately from the Germanic root "carl" meaning…"

Global rank #6 View name
Caroline
Unisex French

"Caroline derives from the Latin name Carolus, meaning "free man" or "strong man," through the feminine suffix -ine."

Global rank #34 View name
Charline
Girl French

"Charline is a feminine French diminutive of Charlotte, which derives from the Germanic name Charles, ultimately meaning "free man" or…"

Global rank #143 View name
Carolyn
Unisex English

"Carolyn means "free woman" or "woman of strength" and derives from the Germanic name Charles (Carolus) through the feminine form…"

Global rank #372 View name
Carolin
Girl German

"The name 'Carolin' is a feminine given name meaning "free man" or "strong," derived from the Germanic root *karlaz* via…"

Global rank #424 View name
Carolann
Girl English

"Carolann is a compound name combining Carol (from the Germanic name Charles, meaning "free man") and Ann (from the Hebrew…"

Global rank #445 View name
Charleen
Girl English

"The name Charleen is a feminine given name meaning "free man" or "strong," derived from the Germanic root *karlaz* via…"

Global rank #471 View name
Carlyn
Unisex English

"The name 'Carlyn' is a modern feminine variant of 'Carl' or 'Charles', meaning "free man" or "strong," derived from the…"

Global rank #492 View name
Charelene
Girl Germanic

"The name 'Charelene' is a variant of 'Charlene,' meaning "free man" or "little woman," derived from the Germanic root *karlaz*…"

Global rank #492 View name
Carlynn
Girl Germanic and Welsh

"The name 'Carlynn' is a modern American feminine given name, typically a blend of 'Carla' (from the Germanic 'karl', meaning…"

Global rank #512 View name
Carolynn
Girl Germanic

"The name 'Carolynn' is a feminine variant of 'Carol', derived from the Germanic root *karlaz* meaning "free man," ultimately linked…"

Global rank #512 View name
Charlaine
Girl Germanic

"The name 'Charlaine' is a modern feminine blend of 'Charlotte' (from the Germanic 'karl' meaning "free man") and the suffix…"

Global rank #512 View name
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