Princess Charlotte of Belgium; Image via Wikipedia
She’s a regal appellation dressed in pearls and a twin set.
Thanks to Lem for suggesting Charlotte as our Baby Name of the Day.
From 1880 into the 1950s, Charlotte was in steady use, usually in the US Top 100 and never far outside. If you were set on classic names for girls and had already used Elizabeth and Margaret, Charlotte was a logical choice for daughter #3.
She’s also a feminine form of the evergreen Charles. There’s Caroline, too, traditionally the more popular of the options.
All of the names trace their roots to the Germanic Karl – man. In Latin, Karl became Carolus. Carolus gives us Carol, Carolina, and Caroline. In French, Carolus became Charles. Charles led to the French diminutive Charlot - the t is silent, as in Margot – which led to feminine form Charlotte.
The Normans brought Charles to England, but it would be centuries before the feminine forms surfaced. An early Charlotte was born in Cyprus, making her one of those quirky medieval crusader state names. Charlotte’s little sister was Cleopha. The names are an eclectic mix of romance languages – French and Italian – with Eastern influence.
Charlotte slowly became a staple amongst the ruling families of Europe:
- Charlotte of Savoy became Queen of France in the 1400s, probably named after her grandmother, a Queen of Cyprus;
- Another French princess was Charlotte Aglaé d’Orléans;
- A German-born princess Charlotte married the heir to the Russian throne, Alexei, but she and tsarevich both died young. Their son, Peter, would eventually become tsar.
- German princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz married King George III and brought the name to England;
- Charlotte Augusta Matilda was the eldest daughter of English King George III and Queen Charlotte. The princess later married a German king;
- Charlotte’s brother, the future King George IV, also had a Charlotte. She could’ve become queen, but she predeceased her father;
- Belgian-born princess Marie Charlotte Amélie Augustine Victoire Clémentine Léopoldine – pictured above – would become Empress Carlota of Mexico in the nineteenth century;
- From 1919 through 1964, Luxembourg was ruled by a Grand Duchess named Charlotte.
I’m overlooking tons of royal Charlottes. And then there’s Charlotte Corday. In 1793, she assassinated Jean-Paul Marat. Both Corday and Marat were revolutionaries – Marat was more extreme; Corday sided with the moderates. Her efforts backfired, and she and other members of her faction went to the guillotine.
Modern parents may be looking for a literary reference, as in Charlotte Brontë. Throw in a few Jane Austen characters, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and Charlotte’s Web, and she’s perfectly at home in the library.
Hush … Hush, Sweet Charlotte sounds like a lullaby, but it is actually a 1964 Southern gothic horror flick starring Bette Davis.
By the 1990s, Charlotte hovered in the high 200s and low 300s – until HBO original series, Sex and the City introduced us to Carrie Bradshaw’s BFF. Charlotte is the most conservative of the characters, a Park Avenue denizen with a usually positive outlook. All of a sudden, Charlotte was modern once more. She’s been gaining ever since the show became a sensation, and at #45 last year, is at her most popular ever.
Today Charlotte appeals to parents seeking a classic that feels fresher than Margaret, and offers nicknames from boyish Charlie to retro Lottie. The only drawback is that you may have to share this lovely classic!
I do love this name! It also has musical associations, via the band Good Charlotte.
I really like Charlotte. But living in North Carolina it would feel weird, like naming my child Raleigh or even Winston. To me, at least.
I agree Lauren.. I fell for this name while she was on Sex and the City.. but I have lived in Charleston for 3.5 years now and the association with the Carolina city is too strong for me now, so she is no longer on the “long” list. However I have run into many Charlottes, Raleighs and even Carolinas after living here. There is sure a lot of state pride here in the Carolinas.. I am a California girl and dont ever remember anyone named California or San Bernardino… nor did we have our state flag posted all over our cars and business signs. How funny it is that our name preferences change over time and with travel.
I’m in the same boat, Lauren. Being in NC, actually using Charlotte would feel odd. That said, it’s a nice enough name, but kinda popular. And while I do dig boyish nns to go with feminine full names, I would far prefer to meet a Lottie – Charlotte than a Charlie – Charlotte at this juncture. Or maybe an Arlo – Charlotte? A stretch, but I would admire that!
I was named when Charlotte was at an ebb. It was pretty unusual for me to find personalised pens, mugs, hairbrushes, etc., and it was REALLY exciting to find out about another Charlotte under the age of, oh, sixty. Now of course there are Charlottes aplenty and most of them are my daughter’s age. The current popularity of the name for the small fry of our community means that people frequently confuse our names, calling me Roseanna and my two-year-old Charlotte.
My parents chose the name because they wanted something that worked in both German and English, that was classic but not commonly used, and that featured in their family trees. My dad also tends to be against girls names that end-in-a, which immediately rules out a lot of name possibilities.
I have a niece named Charlotte (nn Charlie) and a friend with a little Charlotte (nn Char). It is popular, but it sounds too old-fashioned to my 63-year-old mom’s ears. (Just thought the generation gap there was interesting.)
Oh, I forgot I even suggested this one! She’s a gem. I love the simple but striking sound of the name, the subtle femininity, and the fact that it CAN be shortened but doesn’t NEED to be shortened. I think Caroline is gorgeous, too, but the straightforward sound of Charlotte appeals to me even more. Thanks for doing this write-up, Abby!
I really like the name Charlotte and adore the nickname Charlie. From watching the Disney channel with my neices…I’ve come to love the show Good Luck Charlie, where big sister Teddy gives advice to her baby sister Charlie.
Sadly I doubt I’ll ever use it since my sister is married to a Charles nn Charlie and I’ve known a few men named Charles that have soured me on the name.
I loved Charlotte maybe 4 years ago before it starred showing up everywhere. I also loved Susannah, Louisa and Beatrice at that point. None of which made my short list for this baby.
I’ve loved Charlotte ever since I came across Lottie in A Little Princess. I like how Lemon put it: Charlotte can be shortened, but she doesn’t need to be. Regal, classic, and yet modern, no wonder so many parents have flocked to this gem. I know one Charlotte, she’s about 7 and was named for her grandmother; her little sister is Sara. I also have friends of friends with 2-year old twin daughters Charlotte and Evelyn. Talk about a winning, if rising, set of names
I really like Charlotte, but as many have pointed out, it is getting so popular. Still, I’d rather meet a little Charlotte than another Addalyn/Addisyn or any of the other trendy type names. I adore both Charlotte and Caroline, and find my taste in girls names seems to skew heavily Victorian (Charlotte, Caroline, Louisa, Susannah, Evelyn, Eleanor, Victoria,etc.), so this doesn’t suprise me.
I had Charlotte on my list in 2005 for our daughter. I thought it would be cute, as my father-in-law is named Charles. My husband wasn’t keen on the name though – I think he thought it was too long / had too many letters. I do think Lottie is adorable as a nickname and I love that the name has a long history.
It’s a bit too popular to have on my list anymore. Though I guess it could go on there as a middle name.
I have a friend from the UK who is a Charlotte: she goes by Larlie, perhaps because Charlie is way too masculine over there.
I really love the name, and I discovered Carlota recently, another form of Charlotte.
My cousins’ grandmother was named Charlotte (Gramma Lottie) and my cousin has rightfully “claimed” the name. Granted she has two boys and I think she’s done having kids… but Charlotte is off limits (and it would sound 200% better with her surname.)
Our dental hygienist is named Charlotte (Char.) My family refers to her as “Hamburger Helper” because while she’s very nice — she’s also a bit rough and you leave feeling like you just went through a meat grinder.
Charlotte’s such a sweet, classic name, and I wish it wasn’t getting so popular! I love Caroline more, though.
Charlie/Charley seems to be blowing up for the girls these days.
Man, I can see Charlotte devolving to “Harlot” in the hands of malicious schoolkids — though I suppose I’d admire said kid’s breadth of vocabulary.
I wouldn’t name a kid Aurelia either, though I love the name, for fear of “Australia”. Kids are ingenious of course, but I try not to make it EASY for them, LOL.
I’m still somewhat surprised that no one ever thought of calling me “Charlotte the Scarlet Harlot”. The only rhyming teases anyone ever seemed to come up with were omelette and piglet. Neither that bad, really. I guess it helped that I was a rather skinny child, so “piglet” was never a reference to weight.
How many people even use the word “harlot” anymore? I don’t think this would ever be a concern of mine in naming a daughter Charlotte. Omelet is an interesting tease-name, Charlotte Vera! Some original kiddos you must have grown up with…
Charlotte was on our shortlist for Baby #1 (we went with Beatrice) and I’m sure it will reappear if we are blessed with another girl. We always wanted to use the nickname Lotte.
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